Las Piñas City Rep. Camille Villar is still a deputy speaker in the House of Representatives, despite her making it crystal clear last month that she didn't want the plum post.
(Rep. Camille Villar FACEBOOK / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
A House leader who declined to be named had this to say Wednesday amid confusion as to the true number of deputy speakers in the 18th Congress.
The simple explanation according to the House leader is that the plenary has the final word. "Plenary" here means the majority of the 300-strong Lower Chamber.
"Rep. Camille was elected by the plenary and I think if you decline or resign, it has to be accepted by the plenary also," he said.
"Wala pa naman movement sa floor on that so far. Sa House website I think nandun siya sa roster (So far, there's no movement on that on the floor. I think she is included in the roster in the House website)," he noted.
Supporting the "finality" of Villar's election, which took place during session last November 19, was the removal of Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu from the deputy speaker's roster. It was Abu's spot that was given to Villar.
Including the 35-year-old congresswoman in the list means that there are currently 29 deputy speakers in the House. This includes the nine new deputy speakers who were elected, sans any objection from the members, on the floor last Monday.
“I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the honor and opportunity offered me. Allow me, however, to humbly decline the nomination and designation as Deputy Speaker,” Villar said in a letter to the House leadership just hours after she was given her new position.
Meanwhile, political analyst Ramon Casiple described the appointment of the bloated number of deputy speakers as "scandalous" and "a very partisan move" on the part of Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.