Akbayan: New speaker can prove critics wrong by pushing needed reforms

Akbayan party-list Representative Percival Cendaña —HOR FB PAGE

MANILA, Philippines — Newly-elected House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III can counter allegations of being a “puppet” of the current administration by pursuing reforms needed for greater transparency and accountability, Akbayan party-list Representative Percival Cendaña said on Friday.

In an online interview, Cendaña said that while they do not concern themselves with the affairs of the majority, the developments give Dy a chance to distinguish itself from the past House leadership.

Dy was elected by 253 lawmakers last Wednesday, after former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez stepped down from his post, in the wake of allegations that lawmakers received kickbacks from contractors doing infrastructure projects, and claims of irregularities in flood control projects.

“For us in the minority, our job to serve as fiscalizers remains the same. We have heard criticisms about the change in the leadership and the choice of the majority, but at the end, it’s for the new speaker to prove his critics wrong,” Cendaña, a House deputy minority leader, said.

READ: New Speaker Bojie Dy vows cooperation in ICI inquiry

“It’s for the new speaker to exercise and show independence from the previous leadership and at the same time, for the new Speaker to embrace the reforms that we have long called for,” he added.

According to Cendaña, he was waiting for Dy to discuss proposed reforms—like resolutions on reforming the budget process, like opening the bicameral conference committee hearing to public scrutiny, and a bill that institutionalizes the independent commission on infrastructure—but these were not tackled in the new Speaker’s opening speech.

Still, Cendaña believes there is time for Dy to tackle these things.

“That’s why we were waiting, I was waiting for the new speaker to make mention of his support for our initiative, for the legislation of giving more powers to the infrastructure […] commission, not just allowing Malacañang to proceed with the current measures created by an EO (executive order),” Cendaña said.

“It’s better if we pass a legislated independent commission on infrastructure corruption here in Congress. That would have been a very good first step for the speaker, but of course, he still has the chance, the new leadership has the following week to embrace this very important mechanism to hold those responsible for plundering the public coffers accountable and responsible,” he added.

Cendaña, along with other lawmakers from the House’s liberal bloc, has filed a bill that would give greater powers to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), created by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to investigate substandard or non-existent infrastructure projects.

Last Monday, the liberal bloc called on Marcos to certify as urgent House Bill No. 4453, as unlike the ICI created by the executive order, their proposal would provide the independent commission the ability to cite uncooperative individuals for contempt, and the power to summon documents that may be in the hands of other investigating bodies.

Aside from that, HB No. 4453 also allows the ICI to have “full and unrestricted access to all government records”, the administration of oath for witness while also being allowed to take testimonies, and being able to issue subpoenas duces tecum and ad testificandum “to compel witnesses and the production of records, books, and documents.”

READ: Solons to Marcos: Certify bill on infra corruption probe as urgent

Give Dy time

Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega in a separate interview appealed to the public to give Dy time to discuss the direction of his leadership, noting that he expects the new Speaker to meet with party leaders and House officials in the following days.

“Let’s give him time or maybe by Monday he would probably ask for a party leaders’ meeting or a deputy or leadership meeting. We have not talked about anything because the recent turn of events have been abrupt,” Ortega said.

“At least we have the weekend for him to collect and to strategize also for his term and his leadership. I’m sure he will give the leadership direction, he will give Congress, the Majority, and even the minority direction. As for us, we are waiting for the captain to steer and command the ship,” he added.

During his first speech as Speaker of the House, Dy admitted that he did not expect to be chosen as the new leader, adding that he initially had qualms about taking on this daunting task.

Dy thanked his fellow lawmakers for entrusting him—even as he thought that the next chapter of his life would be devoted to his family.

However, there were criticisms, particularly from Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, that Dy was only picked because he is close to the administration. Dy has been identified as a friend of Romualdez, and is also a party-mate of  Marcos and Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos at Partido Federal.

READ: Paolo Duterte: Dy picked as Speaker because he’s Marcos’ party-mate

Majority Leader Marcos disputed Duterte’s accusations, saying that the Davao solon would have been aware of the House’s affairs if he was present during meetings and plenary sessions—instead of looking for where flood control funds went.

READ: Sandro Marcos hits Pulong: You’d know House affairs if you were present

Dy’s ascension to the country’s fourth-highest political post comes after former Romualdez decided to relinquish his post to shield the House from criticisms.

Rumors that Romualdez is on his way out intensified three weeks prior to his resignation, as he and other lawmakers were dragged into the flood control issue.

The former speaker has not been linked to any of the top companies doing flood control projects, but he was one of the lawmakers named by contractor-couple Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II and Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya, who were allegedly receiving kickbacks from projects.

During a previous Senate blue ribbon committee hearing, Curlee Discaya stated that several House members had requested a percentage of public funds allocated to infrastructure projects, following his company’s receipt of government contracts.

Discaya added that, in addition to lawmakers’ request for a kickback, was a 25 percent cut that would allegedly be given to Romualdez and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co.

Romualdez called out the Discaya couple’s claims, calling it “false, malicious, and nothing more than name-dropping.”

According to Romualdez, if anyone used his name to secure funding for projects, it was done without his knowledge and permission. Furthermore, the speaker said he is a self-made individual and has never accepted any bribe from anyone. /cb