Speaker authors House resolution expressing support for Noy

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives was set to approve yesterday a resolution expressing support for President Aquino amid criticisms over his administration’s mishandling of efforts to prosecute former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. introduced house Resolution No. 1918 entitled “A Resolution Supporting His Excellency President Benigno Aquino III in Upholding the Tenets of Good Governance and Public Accountability.”

The bill was co-authored by Deputy Speakers Arnulfo Fuentebella, Pablo Garcia, Jesus Crispin Remulla and Lorenzo Tañada III, House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales Jr., Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, Valenzuela Rep. Rex Gatchalian, An Waray Rep. Florencio Noel, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, Cebu Rep. Pablo John Garcia, and Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino.

The House leaders noted in the proposal that Aquino “has committed himself to transformational leadership through his ‘social contract with the Filipino people’.”

The resolution also stated that “the President likewise committed to achieve a truly impartial system of institution that deliver equal justice to both the rich and the poor.”

“Contemporaneous events have shown that President Aquino has been consistent in his zeal to weed out corruption, inefficiency, and abuse of power in all branches of government,” the resolution read.

The document said the House vowed to “support the extraordinary political will exercised by Aquino in upholding the tenets of good governance and public accountability.”

As of press time, about 130 lawmakers from the 285-member House have signed the resolution.

Belmonte said the resolution was revised to take into account the sentiments of other parties.

Earlier, some members of the Liberal Party circulated a resolution among House members and the media but it turned out that it was not received well by other parties since it just focused on the case of Arroyo.

Gonzales said the draft resolution was made more diplomatic and more relevant since issues affecting Filipinos do not only include the Arroyo case.