ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio. PHOTO from congress.gov.ph
MANILA, Philippines – Members of the House majority leadership do not agree with the filing of an ethics complaint against ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio over his supposed recording of an executive session as part of his evidence in an impeachment complaint.
Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said the House of Representatives should focus on other priorities. He cited the budget deliberations as well as the anti-political dynasty bill that seeks to prohibit the proliferation of political clans in Congress.
“I don’t agree that it should be referred to the ethics committee. We have better things to do. It will just be a sideshow of the impeachment,” Gonzales said in a text message.
Tinio was accused of unethical practice when he recorded an executive session between lawmakers and Commission on Higher Education chairperson Patricia Licuanan, who supposedly told them that some of their funds for scholarship programs were really for representatives to decide where these would be spent.
This is despite a Supreme Court ruling declaring as illegal the post-budget identification practice and consequently scrapping the congressional pork barrel Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) at the height of a corruption scandal.
“There are many people out there, who really think I now have P4.1-billion new scholarships. They don’t think it’s the PDAF, they don’t think it’s going to you (lawmakers) … And then I’m supposed to tell them ‘No! No! Don’t do that, because actually the congressmen are all going to get it… We have to go through this kind of semblance. We understand each other. I really want to cooperate,” the transcript of the meeting with Licuanan read.
Tinio also cited an executive meeting with Health Undersecretary Janet Garin, who told lawmakers that medical assistance program would be available to beneficiaries recommended by lawmakers.
The recordings form part of Tinio’s impeachment complaint against President Benigno Aquino for allegedly sustaining the pork barrel system in the 2014 budget despite the Supreme Court ruling.
Committee on Appropriations chair Isidro Ungab, who was present in one of the said meetings, said he agrees with the majority leader that an ethics complaint should be the least of their concerns now.
“There are more urgent matters that we have to tackle in the committee like the budget deliberations,” Ungab said in a text message.
An administration lawmaker also thumbed down the filing of an ethics complaint, but not without taking a swipe at Tinio’s actions.
“I am not in favor of an ethics complaint at the moment as I think it will just glamorize his highly questionable actions,” Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo said in a text message.
“I also don’t agree with it as it will deviate our attention from the real problem: scholars who have not been able to get funding and are about to stop schooling, medical patients who have not been unable to get medical assistance, and the like,” he added.
Quimbo said Tinio should have objected during the meeting and appealed that the contents of the meeting be made public.
“It seems to be a betrayal of the entire process. There is a venue for them to actually bring up things… You can appeal and say we need to disclose it to the public,” Quimbo said.
“There is a process provided, but that process was not followed. Otherwise, what’s the sanctity of an executive session?” he added.
Ilocos Norte Rep. Rudy Farinas added that there is no harm done by Tinio’s impeachment complaint. The rap failed to make the cut in the committee referrals of the three impeachment raps against Aquino due to lack of time.
“No harm, no foul naman… Baka sabihin nila binabalikan namin (They might say we’re just retaliating on them),” Farinas said.
Tinio has yet to respond for comment.
The filing of an ethics complaint against Tinio floated when Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe said Tinio might be criminally and administratively liable under the House rules and the anti-wiretapping law for recording an executive session.
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