Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO/RYAN LEAGOGO
Tyranny reigned in the House of Representatives following the ouster of lawmakers from their committee and leadership posts for voting against the administration pet bill seeking to restore the death penalty, an opposition lawmaker said.
In a statement, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman slammed anew the policy of repression of the House leadership by declaring vacant the committee and leadership positions of lawmakers who voted against the death penalty.
READ: Arroyo, anti-death penalty solons ousted from key posts
“A policy of reprisal and repression has been institutionalized by the leadership of the House after the anti-death penalty lawmakers were ousted today from their key positions,” Lagman said in a statement.
Lagman said the “ploy” of the House leadership to have political parties recommend replacements to the anti-death penalty lawmakers is a “double-edged sword” to convince the party to remain with the majority, as well as “drive a wedge” within the party by “pitting one member against another.”
“No party worth its salt should fall prey to this malevolent scheme,” Lagman said.
Lagman urged members of the lower house to go against the “vindictive” House leadership of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.
“Bold and decisive moves of the political parties and members affected must be the answer to the vindictiveness and tyranny of the House leadership in suppressing dissent and free will,” Lagman said.
The declaration of seats as vacant happened Wednesday or the last day of Congress before it went on break.
READ: Alvarez won’t mind losing support after House revamp
During the plenary session, majority leader Ilocos Norte Rep. Rudy Fariñas declared the following committee chairperson seats as vacant: committees on civil service and professional regulation, land use, people participation, public information, natural resources, poverty alleviation, government reorganization, basic education and culture, Muslim affairs, overseas workers affairs, and women and gender equality.
Fariñas also moved as vacant the deputy speaker for Central Luzon post held by Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo.
The House revamp followed the final reading of House Bill 4727 that seeks to restore the death penalty for drug-related offenses. At least 217 lawmakers voted for the bill, while 54 solons voted against it.
READ: House approves death penalty bill with 217 yes votes
For voting against the death penalty, the following Makabayan lawmakers lost their posts: Act Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, who chaired the public information committee; Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate (natural resources); and Gabriela Rep. Emmi De Jesus (poverty alleviation).
Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto, Quezon City Rep. Jose Christopher Belmonte, and Dinagat Island Rep. Kaka Bag-ao also lost their key posts for voting no to the death penalty.
Santos-Recto chaired the civil service and professional regulation committee, Belmonte chaired the committee on land use, and Bag-ao chaired the committee on people participation.
READ: House leadership forces vote on death penalty
Other lawmakers who voted against the death penalty and lost their committee chairpersonships were: Sorsogon Rep. Evelina Escudero (mother of Senator Francis Escudero) who chaired the basic education and culture committee), Anak Mindanao Rep. Sitti Turabin-Hataman (wife of ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman) who chaired the committee on Muslim affairs, and Buhay Rep. Mariano Michael Velarde (son of El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde), who chaired the overseas workers affairs committee.
Batanes Rep. Henedina Abad, the wife of former budget secretary Butch Abad, was absent from the voting and thus was subsequently ousted from her post. She chaired the committee on government reorganization.
Diwa Rep. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar was absent from the voting, too, and was axed from her chairperson post in the committee of women and gender equality.
Alvarez had said even the absent lawmakers would be axed from their committee posts.
The bill passed by the lower house seeks to limit the death penalty on drug-related offenses (except possession of drugs, which is punishable with life imprisonment). JE/rga
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