Ganito inilarawan ni Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor si House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco dahil wala umano itong kakorte-kortesiya bilang lider ng Kapulungan.
Hindi naitago ni Defensor ang kanyang pagkadismaya kay Velasco dahil sa huling araw ng session ng Kamara bago ang kanilang Christmas break kagabi ay tinanggal ito bilang chairman ng House committee on public accounts.
“He didn’t even have the courtesy to talk with me even as we had a short meeting last week as regards the investigation to be conducted by the Committee on Public Accounts. He even requested me that we all suspend investigations until January which I respectfully agreed to. I would not have resisted if he had asked me to give up the position as I have said in the past,” ani Defensor.
Si Defensor ang nanguna sa imbestigasyon sa katiwalian sa Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), ABS-CBN at sa utang ng power companies sa gobyerno na bilyon-bilyong piso ang halaga.
“Civility and leadership dictates that even as we have differences in the past leadership fight, that we treat each other in a respectable manner. I am comforted by the thought that clear lines have been drawn and in the spirit of the season, I wish Speaker a Merry Christmas. See you next year,” banta pa ni Defensor.
Ipinalit kay Defensor ang isa sa loyal allies ni Velasco na tumulong sa kanya para makuha ang Speakership kay dating Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano na si Probinsyano Ako party-list Rep. Jose Bonito Singson Jr.
Samantala, bago naghiwa-hiwalay ang mga mambabatas kagabi ay muling dinagdagan ni Velasco ang deputy speaker matapos iluklok sa nasabing posisyon sina Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab at Cavite Rep. Abraham Tolentino.
Sa kabuuan, umaabot na sa 31 ang deputy speaker sa ilalim ng liderato ni Velasco at pinakamarami sa kasaysayan ng Kongreso.
Itinalaga naman bilang chairman ng House committee on constitutional amendments si Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin kapalit ni Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez na unang itinalaga bilang deputy speaker.
Si Garbin na dating miyembro ng House Electoral Tribunal ay pinalitan ni Bulacan Rep. Henry Villarica habang ginawang vice chairman ng House committee on national defense si Duterte Youth party-list Rep. Ducille Cardema. (BERNARD TAGUINOD)
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