Comelec office. FILE PHOTO
What power and influence?
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque hit back on Monday at Kabayan Partylist Rep. Ron Salo after the lawmaker claimed that he was bullying the party so his “dummy” could replace him.
Roque is a Kabayan representative but would have to vacate his post after he took his oath as Duterte’s spokesman.
In a statement, Salo said Roque’s camp allegedly “threatened to use his influence, and the power and resources of his office as Presidential Spokesperson, to obstruct the proclamation” of lawyer Ciriaco Calalang as the new Kabayan representative.
Calalang was the third nominee on the list submitted to the Commission on Elections but Salo claimed Roque wanted his chief-of-staff and human rights lawyer Romel Bagares as his replacement.
“Obviously, Ron Salo is delirious because I don’t know what power and influence he is referring to,” Roque said in a Palace briefing.
Roque confirmed that they have “an intra-party dispute” pending in the Commission on Elections, adding that he has eight ethics complaints against Salo.
“I am repeating my call to the House Ethics Committee: Expel Ron Salo because he is unfit to become part of the Congress of the Philippines,” he said.
Roque said he automatically vacates his post as Kabayan representative after he took his oath as presidential spokesperson on Monday afternoon.
“As soon as I take my oath, it’s ipso facto (by the fact itself). But it’s not ipso facto that the third nominee will take over,” he said.
Regarding his replacement he said Kabayan Partylist “had a congress and they voted to annul the designation of the third, fourth, and fifth as being illegal.”
“Let the Comelec rule on that,” he said.
“And I would say that my successor, the issue of my successor will inevitably be resolved by the Comelec which will have jurisdiction on who the third, fourth and fifth,” he added.
He slammed his partymates who keep on attacking him.
“Problema diyan sa mga taong yan akala nila sila na, salita nila eh pupwede na. Ilang beses nilang sinabi na inexpel nila ako sa Kongreso, beh buti nga never nangyari yun,” he said.
“Kung ako ay aalis sa Kongreso, it’s because I will leave as a matter, of course, because of a — as a consequence of accepting another position in government or because I resigned not because of them. So stop spreading fake news,” he added.