There was no way Gonzalez could have denied the incident: TV cameras were rolling as the slap nearly knocked Fabic off his feet. Fabic, a retired Army brigadier general, kept his cool and did not retaliate, probably because other pro-administration congressmen were screaming at House security officers to make the spectators in the gallery shut up and behave – an impossible task, given the number of the crowd and the passions stirred by Villar’s coup.
Caught in the act, a contrite Gonzalez later made a public apology and even gave Fabic a hug. Fabic did not push him back, but the sergeant-at-arms, backed by his colleagues in the Association of Generals and Flag Officers, is still contemplating the filing of a complaint against Gonzalez before the House ethics committee. There are unconfirmed reports, however, that new Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella is trying to persuade Fabic to let bygones be bygones.
This could be possible if it weren’t the first time that Gonzalez had shown an ugly temper. But in an earlier incident, he had challenged Senior Deputy Minority Leader Sergio Apostol to a boxing match. Now this may be how arguments are settled in some parts of San Juan, but it’s surely not the way to resolve issues in the halls of Congress. The public is waiting for House leaders to set an example, but the new Speaker appears reluctant to impose sanctions on a misbehaving partymate. Gonzalez is likely to get off with not even a slap on the wrist. Fuentebella can’t blame the public if all the goodwill toward the chamber generated by the previous House leadership vanishes during his watch.