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House majority strips anti-death penalty members of key posts

March 15, 2017 | 6:00pm

House majority strips anti-death penalty members of key posts

In this March 13, 2017 photo, House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas and Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez greet each other ahead of a congressional hearing.

Biazon staff / Released

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 6:15 p.m.) — The leadership of the House of Representatives on Wednesday night removed members who voted against the death penalty bill early this month from key positions.

In a surprising move, House Majority Rodolfo Fariñas declared the posts of representatives who went against the order of the House leader to support the bill reimposing death penalty vacant.

Removed from leadership positions in the House majority were:

Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos
Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate
Gabriela party-list Rep. Emmi De Jesus
Buhay party-list Rep. Mariano Michael Velarde Jr.
ACT-Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio
Amin party-list Rep. Sitti Hataman
Sorsogon Rep. Evelina Escudero
Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao
Quezon City Rep. John Christopher Belmonte
DIWA Party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar
Batanes Rep. Henedina Abad.

Arroyo, in a statement, thanked Speaker Alvarez for the “honor” of allowing her to serve as deputy speaker.

She also thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for understanding her position on the issue. She said that despite her removal she would continue to support both Duterte and Alvarez.

Arroyo, who had the death penalty scrapped in 2006 while she was president, also explained her vote on the death penalty, saying that the issue touched the “core of each person’s fundamental view of human life.”

She said that she "believes that the issue required a vote based solely on conscience and the deepest of personal convictions."

For Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, the issue on the death penalty was an issue of principle as she expressed her readiness to face the repercussions of her vote.

“Tatanggapin ko po at yayakapin ko ang lahat ng kapalit ng botong ito,” Bag-ao said during her speech explaining her vote against the death penalty bill on March 7.

She added: “Tungkulin natin sa Kongresong ito na pangalagaan an gating mga mamamayan at isulong ang katarungan. Kung nakikita nating may problema sa sistema, maghanap tayo ng paraan upang maayos ito nang hindi sumasagasa sa karapatan at dignidad ng tao.”

Cebu Rep. Ramon Durano IV was elected to replace Sorsogon Rep. Evelina Escudero as chairperson of the House committee on basic education.

The replacements for Arroyo and others who were ousted will be chosen when session resumes on May 2.

Reshuffle not expected until May

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said earlier Wednesday that the reshuffle in the House leadership positions would happen in May, when Congress returns from its break.

Speaking to reporters at the House of Representatives, Alvarez said the House majority would not forget the policy announced before voting on House Bill 4727 or the death penalty bill.

“Ay, hindi makakalimutan dahil we have asked the respective parties to submit their nominees for the replacements,” he said.

Alvarez also declared that he was willing to “burn bridges” with his decision.

“Well if I’m burning bridges then so be it wala tayo magagawa diyan,” he said.

That time, Alvarez said that representatives occupying committee chairmanship and deputy speakership positions who would vote against the death penalty measure would lose their key positions.

“Tuloy na tuloy 'yun. 'Yun ang naging policy natin kaya kailangan nating gawin 'yun," Alvarez said in a radio interview when asked if they would follow through on the warning.

With 217 voting in favor and 54 against, the House passed the bill on third reading on March 7.

A day after the vote, Alvarez reissued his warning, but this time he dialed back a bit, saying that the changes in the composition of the House leadership would happen some other time and that he was leaving it to Fariñas how to effect the reshuffle, a move that was criticized and scored by some members in the minority.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, who is not in the majority and who voted against the measure, described the threat of Alvarez as “mere scheming braggadocio.”

Lagman said: “The threat of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to oust those who would vote against the death penalty bill from their key leadership positions has turned out to be a mere scheming braggadocio.”

Alvarez said that the House leadership would consider whom each party would nominate as replacements.

“Kung ano yung ino-nominate nila kung sino yun of course we will consider,” he said.

He also added even those who were absent would be removed from their posts, unless they had a valid reason.