Nograles forms House reform committee

MANILA, Philippines – Speaker Prospero Nograles has formed a committee that would receive and screen proposed reforms his leadership would undertake to improve the image of the House of Representatives and speed up the process of legislation.

The panel is composed of representatives from various political parties that comprise the majority coalition.

Its members include Palawan Rep. Abraham Mitra, who represents the Nationalist People’s Coalition, Bohol Rep. Roberto Cajes of Lakas and Rep. Florencio “Bem” Noel of the party-list group An Waray, representing the minority bloc.

Nograles has told reporters that he would make the final decision on the reforms the House would undertake.

He said his priority would be to improve the image of his chamber.

His reform initiative has started with himself. He has shed elaborate security and reduced the number of police escorts that he is entitled to as the country’s fourth highest-ranking official.

The policemen would be better off being assigned traffic duties instead of guarding politicians, he said.

He has asked each of the five deputy speakers to supervise at least 10 committees to speed up work in the committee level. He would soon meet with committee chairmen to identify priority measures.

To be affected next by Nograles’ reform program would be the House secretariat. The chamber’s secretary general, Roberto Nazareno, who has been extended for nine years after reaching retirement age, would finally retire.

He will be replaced by lawyer Marilyn Yap, deputy executive director of the rules committee, of which the new speaker was chairman during the previous Congress. Nograles was then majority leader.

The chamber’s sergeant-at-arms, retired general Bayani Fabic, would also be replaced. Fabic reached retirement age several years ago.

The public relations and information department, which former journalist Noel Albano heads, would be downgraded to a bureau or an office and would be headed by an executive director, not by a deputy secretary general, the rank Albano now holds.

Albano is expected to resign but would continue working for former speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., who represents the fourth district of Pangasinan.

Nograles does not intend to immediately reorganize House committees. He has asked incumbent chairmen and vice chairmen, including those who voted for keeping former speaker De Venecia in office, to stay on and continue doing their job.

Among these chairmen are Representatives Edcel Lagman of Albay, Exequiel Javier of Antique and Bienvenido Abante Jr. of Manila. They head the committees on appropriations, ways and means, and public information, respectively.

The three were among 35 House members who voted for keeping De Venecia as speaker last Feb. 4. An overwhelming majority ousted De Venecia and replaced him with Nograles.

The new speaker said if he would have his way, he would not touch the committees since reorganizing them would further deepen the division in his chamber caused by the recent speakership fight.

However, he is under tremendous pressure from those who installed him to reorganize choice committees. Many of his allies are itching to take over juicy House and committee posts.  – Jess Diaz