Villafuerte hits Andaya for withdrawing power utility franchise bill
Published Jan 27, 2019 01:34 pm
By Ellson Quismorio
Camarines Sur 1st district Rep. LRay Villafuerte continued his tirade against provincemate Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. of the 2nd district, and accused him for allegedly orchestrating the withdrawal of a bill meant to benefit local electricity consumers.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund "LRay" Villafuerte
(Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) Villafuerte was referring to House Bill (HB) No. 5664, which proposes to grant a franchise to the Bicol Light And Power Corporation. The entity is supposed to set up and maintain a power distribution system for end users in the towns of Baao, Balatan, Bato, Buhi, Bula, Nabua, as well as the city of Iriga. He noted that the measure, passed by the House of Representatives on third and final reading on 221-0 vote almost two years ago, has since then been the subject of several public hearings by at least three Senate committees. Villafuerte claimed Andaya, who had just stepped down as Majority Leader and chairman of the powerful Rules Committee, was the one behind the "illegal withdrawal" of the bill, which the former principally authored. "(Andaya) resorted to one more instance of power-tripping in recalling HB 5664 on the sly without the expressed and formal consent of a majority of his peers and in gross violation of House rules and procedures,” said Villafuerte. He said the ex-Majority Leader's action was done "in his mad quest for personal vendetta against the Villafuertes." It should be noted that Andaya is running for governor of Camarines Sur in May – a path that puts him on a collision course with Villafuerte's son, incumbent Governor Migz Villafuerte. “It is unfortunate that Andaya had upended House rules anew by recalling another House-approved bill on his own as one of his final despicable acts as Majority Leader, just days before he relinquished his premier post of Majority and Rules Committee chairman,” Villafuerte said. Andaya now serves as Appropriations Committee chairman. Villafuerte likened the withdrawal of HB 5664 to last year’s withdrawal from the Senate of the House-approved bill abolishing the Road Board. Aside from violating House rules, Andaya’s arbitrary withdrawal of bills already approved on final reading is “an utter waste of public funds and resources,” Villafuerte said, pointing out that the tedious process of passing a law requires time, energy and the hard-earned money of Filipino taxpayers. “The withdrawal of a bill without due notice or explanation way beyond the reglementary or required period for amendments by a congressman who was absent during the critical voting periods is a blatant disregard of the time, effort and resources of everyone. "It is conduct unbecoming of a Representative whose own negligence and oversight, if not grave abuse of position, may set precedent to a practice prone to abuse,” he said. The House approved HB 5664 on third and final reading on May 29, 2017 via 221-0 vote with no abstention. The Senate received HB 5664 on May 31, 2017, after which the bill was referred to the Senate committee on public services. The Senate public services panel then conducted joint hearings on this measure with the Senate committees on finance and on energy on January 24, February 20, and September 18, 2018.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund "LRay" Villafuerte(Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) Villafuerte was referring to House Bill (HB) No. 5664, which proposes to grant a franchise to the Bicol Light And Power Corporation. The entity is supposed to set up and maintain a power distribution system for end users in the towns of Baao, Balatan, Bato, Buhi, Bula, Nabua, as well as the city of Iriga. He noted that the measure, passed by the House of Representatives on third and final reading on 221-0 vote almost two years ago, has since then been the subject of several public hearings by at least three Senate committees. Villafuerte claimed Andaya, who had just stepped down as Majority Leader and chairman of the powerful Rules Committee, was the one behind the "illegal withdrawal" of the bill, which the former principally authored. "(Andaya) resorted to one more instance of power-tripping in recalling HB 5664 on the sly without the expressed and formal consent of a majority of his peers and in gross violation of House rules and procedures,” said Villafuerte. He said the ex-Majority Leader's action was done "in his mad quest for personal vendetta against the Villafuertes." It should be noted that Andaya is running for governor of Camarines Sur in May – a path that puts him on a collision course with Villafuerte's son, incumbent Governor Migz Villafuerte. “It is unfortunate that Andaya had upended House rules anew by recalling another House-approved bill on his own as one of his final despicable acts as Majority Leader, just days before he relinquished his premier post of Majority and Rules Committee chairman,” Villafuerte said. Andaya now serves as Appropriations Committee chairman. Villafuerte likened the withdrawal of HB 5664 to last year’s withdrawal from the Senate of the House-approved bill abolishing the Road Board. Aside from violating House rules, Andaya’s arbitrary withdrawal of bills already approved on final reading is “an utter waste of public funds and resources,” Villafuerte said, pointing out that the tedious process of passing a law requires time, energy and the hard-earned money of Filipino taxpayers. “The withdrawal of a bill without due notice or explanation way beyond the reglementary or required period for amendments by a congressman who was absent during the critical voting periods is a blatant disregard of the time, effort and resources of everyone. "It is conduct unbecoming of a Representative whose own negligence and oversight, if not grave abuse of position, may set precedent to a practice prone to abuse,” he said. The House approved HB 5664 on third and final reading on May 29, 2017 via 221-0 vote with no abstention. The Senate received HB 5664 on May 31, 2017, after which the bill was referred to the Senate committee on public services. The Senate public services panel then conducted joint hearings on this measure with the Senate committees on finance and on energy on January 24, February 20, and September 18, 2018.