House reps ask: Why blame us for Senate coup rumors?

MANILA, Philippines — House representatives have asked why senators have always pinned the blame regarding different issues on House lawmakers amid rumors that a leadership reshuffle at the Senate was imminent.

PBA party-list Rep. Migs Nograles, in a press briefing on Tuesday, said that it seems the Senate always accuses the House of something when the upper chamber is in disarray.

Nograles said this after lawmakers were asked about some senators’ belief that the House is responsible for spreading rumors that a coup is being set up against Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.

“Well, simple lang po ‘yan ‘no, bakit pag nag aaway-away po ang Senado kami pa rin po ang may kasalanan?  Wala naman pong kinalaman ang House of Representatives sa gusto ng Senado in terms of their leadership.  They have their own internal rules, we respect their rules, we respect who they want to place as their leader,” Nograles said.

(Well, that is simple; why is it that when senators quarrel, we are at fault?  The House of Representatives has no say in what the Senate wants in terms of their leadership.)

“So, bakit po nadadamay na naman po ang Kongreso na parang kami po ang mga masama dito.  Eh kung sila po mag aaway-away, sila na po mag away-away diyan or kung magkakasundo sila, sila yung magkakasundo, the same for us, we have nothing to do with the internal rules of the Senate and whatever and whoever they wish to keep with their leadership,” she added.

(So, why are they dragging Congress to make it seem that we are the villains here again?  If they are fighting, let them fight — and if they agree, let them agree.)

1-Rider party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez meanwhile was bewildered as to why senators all of a sudden believe the lower chamber has that much influence when some senators have belittled House lawmakers.

“I’m similarly surprised na may allegations po na nanggagaling sa amin, according to some quarters of the Senate, mga Congressman lang daw po kami. Napakalakas naman po natin kung makakaimpluwensiya po kami diyan sa upper chamber?” Gutierrez asked.

(I’m similarly surprised that there are allegations that the talks came from us, but according to some quarters of the Senate, we are only Congressmen.  Are we that strong for us to influence the upper chamber?)

“Ikinakagulat po namin ito because as far as I’m concerned and as far as I know ‘yong question po ng jointly voting ay para lang doon sa economic Cha-cha, bakit po biglang kasama na kami sa internal rules nila about electing their leaders? Wala naman po kaming boto doon, so I can say that this would be… suntok sa buwan po siguro ‘yong allegation na we are related there,” he added.

(We are shocked because as far as I’m concerned and as far as I know, the question of jointly voting is only for economic Cha-cha; why are we dragged in the internal rules of the Senate about electing their leaders?  We do not have a vote on that, so these allegations are far-fetched.)

On Monday, several senators expressed support for Zubiri’s leadership. However, Senator JV Ejercito said it might be a “divide and conquer strategy” from the House of Representatives because of the people’s initiative (PI) issue.

READ: No plan to replace Zubiri, senators say

The House and the Senate have been at odds recently due to discussions about amending the 1987 Constitution’s economic provisions.  Last December, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. said that they were willing to entertain Charter change proposals after their Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6 stalled in the Senate.

Gonzales however said that a PI may be considered since constitutional amendment proposals have died at the Senate.  When the PI gained traction in early January, the Senate accused the House of being behind the campaign.

All 24 senators then signed a manifesto rejecting the PI, saying that it seeks to abolish the Senate by introducing joint voting in deciding on the proposed constitutional amendments.

Speaker Romualdez and other House leaders have denied being behind the PI, saying several times that they do not intend to abolish the Senate.