Solon’s oath was in order, SecGen insists

House Secretary General Marilyn Barua-Yap on Thursday decried insinuation that she railroaded the oath of former Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman as a new member of the House of Representatives.

“It is really unkind insinuation. I am just a clerk doing a ministerial job,” Yap said.

Yap explained that she administered the oath to Pangandaman as part of her job because the latter was able to present all the necessary documents, including a resolution from the Commission on Elections proclaiming him as the rightful nominee of the party-list group AA Kasosyo.

Pangandaman replaced his brother Solaiman who will be migrating to the United States to focus on his business there.

Based on the excerpt from the minutes of the Comelec en banc held on July 5, 2011, which Yap verified as correct, the election body resolved to approve the recommendation of its law department to declare Pangandaman as nominee No. 2 of Kasosyo, and as such proclaim him as the representative of the party-list group.

Yap also said that even before Yap’s resignation, all other nominees had withdrawn from that the party-list group, leaving Pangandaman as its lone nominee.

“Unless there is a court order, I cannot refuse accepting such documents and having a duly proclaimed member from assuming his office. My role is just ministerial and incidental,” Yap said.