New House shakeup looms

Where there’s smoke, there must be fire.

There is grumbling among members of the new majority bloc in the House of Representatives, and the discontent could lead to a new shakeup.

Rep. Carlos Padilla (LDP, Nueva Ecija), who is a supporter of ousted Speaker Manuel Villar Jr., told reporters yesterday that many of those in the majority who did not get the committee assignments they were promised are now complaining.

"Very soon, it’s possible that there would be motions to declare the speakership and all House positions vacant. That will lead to a new reorganization," Padilla said.

He said this possibility is not remote since the margin between Villar and newly installed Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella was only 21 votes.

Fuentebella won the top House post on the tumultuous night of Nov. 13 shortly after Villar expeditiously sent the impeachment case against the President to the Senate. Fuentebella received 114 votes against his predecessor’s 93.

Padilla said only 10 votes or fewer are needed to tilt the balance in favor of declaring the speakership vacant.

He said under House rules, the speaker can be elected or removed by a vote of a majority or by 110 of the 218 House members.

Rep. Danilo Suarez (LAMP, Quezon), who lost to Fuentebella in the straw vote for the top House post among pro-Estrada congressmen, confirmed reports that many members of the majority are complaining.

He said the discontent could lead to desertions, but doubted whether these would be enough to tilt the balance of power in the chamber.

He added that as far as he and his supporters are concerned, they are not grumbling.

Suarez is expected to keep the chairmanship of the ways and means committee.

Assistant Majority Leader Rodolfo Albano III (NPC, Isabela) said some members of the minority "are hallucinating."

"They are just imagining things. We remain solidly behind the new leadership," Albano said.

The House leadership continued the division of spoils yesterday, with Fuentebella supporters taking over 29 standing and special committees.

Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas was chosen new chairman of the committee on justice, where the impeachment case against Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is pending.

Manila Rep. Harry Angping inherited the chairmanship of the committee on economic affairs, which was vacated by Batangas Rep. Ralph Recto, while La Union Rep. Tomas Dumpit took over the post of Rep. Roilo Golez as chairman of the committee on public order and security.

Golez and Recto were among the first congressmen to bolt the ruling party and call for the President’s resignation.