Former members of the House of Representatives on Thursday weighed in on the on-going clash for the speakership, with one of them describing the squabble as “disgusting to the core” and the “lowest of the low.”
Through interviews and social media posts, former Reps. Terry Ridon, Raymond Palatino, and Loretta Ann Rosales said they are unhappy with the developments in the chamber.
“When the Speaker resigns, it is a unilateral act that does not require the vote, acceptance, confirmation or rejection of Congress,” said Ridon who represented Kabataan Partylist for two terms in the Lower House.
“As soon as the resignation is made, there is no other act needed to be done for the resignation to be effective. Correspondingly, House rules state that upon resignation, an Acting Speaker should be elected,” Ridon explained.
The rules were apparently ignored when Cayetano offered his resignation on Wednesday. Instead of electing an acting speaker, the chamber decided to take a vote to determine whether or not the speaker’s decision to step down should be allowed.
Rosales, who completed three terms as representative of ACT Teachers Partylist, chided Cayetano and Velasco for fighting over the top post.
“The House of Representatives squabble over the speakership position is disgusting to the core. It is the lowest of the low,” stated Rosales.
The former chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights lamented that the speakership dispute had to happen “amid a pandemic that caused widespread hunger, unemployment and death.”
“Bitter quarrel over pork barrel allotments and leadership positions is bordering on the criminal,” she stressed.
For his part, Palatino accused the House leaders who are both allies of President Duterte of “squabbling over pork projects.”
“Politicians are oblivious to the harsh social impact of the pandemic as they continue to fight over the speakership post in the House of Representatives,” said Palatino who was also a former Kabataan partylist lawmaker.
Various groups also took to social media to air their opinion on the speakership issue.
The Movement for Law and Justice described the controversial Wednesday voting as a “fantastic feat”.
“Oscar-winning acting though the script was badly written. We wonder if a resignation could be the subject on a vote to accept it or not,” the MLJ said.
Deputy Secretary General Regina Tolentino of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines stated in a social media post: “The motion to resign was clearly a play in order to get the sympathy of the public.”
“House Speaker Cayetano knows that he would have a bigger vote because the lower chamber is filled with his co-cronies; thus, giving him the chance to stage this ploy,” Tolentino wrote.
UP Cebu Prof. Henry Francis Espiritu told Cayetano: “Don’t offer to resign! Just resign!”