Buhay nominees fight over 3 House seats
With the certainty of the party-list group Buhay being entitled to three seats in the House of Representatives, a quarrel among its nominees as to who gets the title, “Honorable Congressman,” and all the perks and privileges that go with it, including about P200,000 a month in emoluments, has erupted.
Two groups of nominees are claiming they are the legitimate representatives of Buhay, a group identified with El Shaddai leader Bro. Mike Velarde, whose son and heir apparent Rene currently sits in the House as one of two Buhay lawmakers.
The other is Hans Christian Señeres, Buhay secretary-general, who said in an interview over dzMM that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should recognize his three nominees as the legitimate representatives of Buhay.
Señeres said he is the one authorized to make a nomination since Melquiades Robles, Buhay president, was deemed to have resigned when President Arroyo named him Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) administrator more than a year ago.
Robles, former El Shaddai spokesman, could not hold his LRTA job and remain as president of the Velardes’ party-list organization, he said.
Señeres, son of Mrs. Arroyo’s critic and former Ambassador Roy Señeres, nominated himself to one of three seats that Buhay would be entitled to. His two other nominees are Marcos-era education official Hermenegildo Dumlao and law professor Antonio Bautista.
Based on the official and unofficial vote counts, Buhay is leading the party-list election with more than one million votes. Not far behind is the militant group Bayan Muna, which will most likely be entitled to three seats like Buhay.
Interviewed by the same radio station after Señeres, Robles said it is not true that he resigned or was deemed resigned as Buhay president when Mrs. Arroyo appointed him LRTA administrator.
“I continue to be president of Buhay up to this day, and as such, I am the one authorized to submit our list of nominees to the Comelec. Our group is the legitimate Buhay. Theirs is ‘agaw Buhay,’” he said.
He said it is clear that the Velardes are with his bloc and not with the group of Señeres.
Robles dared Señeres and his nominees to produce El Shaddai members who voted for them.
“I challenge them to do that. On our part, we can call and produce our voters,” he said.
The nominees of the Robles group include incumbent Rep. Rene Velarde and Mrs. Tessie Villarama, wife of former Bulacan Rep. Willie Villarama.
Buhay is the second party-list organization to have problems with its nominees. In the present Congress, Rep. Rodante Marcoleta of Alagad faced a protest in the Supreme Court lodged by the original nominees of his group. Alagad is identified with the influential Iglesia ni Cristo.
Another group associated with a religious organization is Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (Cibac), whose lone representative in the House is Joel Villanueva, son of Jesus Is Lord Movement leader Bro. Eddie Villanueva.
Cibac is on the way to being entitled to two seats in the incoming Congress. Unlike Buhay, it doesn’t seem to have a problem nominating its representatives.
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