Year 2020 saw the "critical collaboration” of the 23-man Minority bloc of the House of Representatives with their colleagues who are allied with the Duterte administration to ensure that priority measures benefiting those affected by the pandemic crisis and disasters were passed.
Despite leadership change this year, the House Minority’s role as fiscalizer remains unchanged.
The group’s scrutiny of the P4.5-trillion 2021 national budget that resulted in the discovery of the “severe lack” of funding for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines; the approval of 40 pro-people measures that were enacted into laws; securing the chairmanship of the influential Committee on Public Accounts; and its fight against human rights violations, including the red-tagging of members of the Makabayan bloc were among the House Minority’s “major accomplishments” this year.
Lack of funding for COVID-19 vaccines
Deputy Minority Leader and Marikina City 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo said the Minority bloc has made great strides in pursuing a critical collaboration with the Majority and in championing key reform legislation.
“Among the most notable achievements of the Minority this year is its scrutiny of the crucial 2021 budget. We worked hard to ensure the sound allocation of public funds, while keeping our interpellations as efficient as possible due to the exigency of the time.
"Through our interpellations, we uncovered the severe lack of funding for COVID-19 vaccines. The NEP (National Expenditure Program) proposed a measly 2.5 billion peso budget for vaccines,” she noted.
The House of Representatives passed the 2021 national budget on October 16 and transmitted it to the Senate on October 27.
Assistant Minority Leader and ACT Teachers partylist Rep. France Castro cited that despite the hybrid arrangements for the deliberations of the 2021 proposed national budget, they were also able to perform their "duty in criticizing and closely examining” the spending measure.
Minority Leader and Abang Lingkod partylist Rep. Joseph Stephen "Caraps” Paduano said the Lower Chamber passed the proposed General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2021 “on time but not without rigid scrutiny by members of the Minority who participated in budget deliberations until wee hours of the morning just to ensure that public funds are rightly allocated and well-spent.”
House Minority leadership change
Both Quimbo and Castro said that despite the leadership shift from former minority leader and now Deputy Speaker Bienvenido Abante Jr. to Minority Leader Paduano, the House Minority continues to carry out its role as fiscalizers.
"The adjustment from the Abante to Paduano leadership was a smooth walk in the park. Only the leadership has changed, our values and our principle of unity in diversity remain the same,” said Quimbo, who chairs the Defeat COVID-19 Adhoc Committee’s Economic Cluster.
"Minority Leader Paduano reinvigorated the camaraderie among the bloc and affirmed that its members must continue to be independent, critical, and productive,” she cited.
Paduano was unanimously elected as the House Minority Leader on October 19 after Abante decided to join the House Majority.
House minority keeps its role
Castro also noted that the leadership change "did not affect so much particularly with the role of the minority as fiscalizers.”
Paduano said several minority congressmen as fiscalizers opposed the passage of House Bill 7036 or the Security of Tenure Bill, lamenting that new version "departed from the original intent of the old bill, House Bill No. 6908."
"It earned negative votes from seven minority legislators because we find it weak and will not serve its purpose of eliminating labor-only contracting,' he said.
The House Minority Chief also described as “major accomplishment” the election of Probinsyano Ako partylist Rep. Jose “Bonito” Singson Jr. as chairman of the Committee on Public Accounts.
It was Paduano who lobbied to secure the chairmanship of the coveted committee for the Minority bloc. Upon his insistence, House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco decided to give the panel’s leadership back to the bloc.
Paduano cited the crucial role of the House committee, formerly chaired by Anakalusugan partylist Rep. Mike Defensor, considering that it is “empowered to conduct probe on public spending in the exercise of the congressional oversight function that guarantees checks and balances in government.”
Citing that COVID-19 pandemic has been very challenging to all Filipinos, Quimbo said several COVID-19 response bills have been pushed by the members of the Minority bloc.
"These include the necessary stimulus packages and assistance to frontliners and different impacted sectors of the economy,” Quimbo said.
"We have remained active in monitoring the implementation of response measures and scrutinizing the systems of governance and institutions that need updating,” she added.
Minority committed to good government
Paduano said aside from the passage of the GAA, the expeditious passage of the Bayanihan 1 and 2 laws--Republic Act No. 11469 or the "Bayanihan to Heal As One Act” and Republic Act No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act proved their bloc’s commitment to good government.
“The health crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the destruction wrought by the series of disasters that hit us had inflicted enormous pain upon our people and the government had to act swiftly in providing assistance to the Filipinos who were in dire need of help. And so, we did just that,” he said.
He clarified that during his stint as Minority Leader, only seven out of 40 laws and 185 bills were passed.
The House opposition leader also noted that his group “strongly supported” the final passage of the bills creating the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) and Department of Filipinos Overseas (DFO).
House Bill No. 5832 which creates the DFO was approved on third and final reading on March 11, while House Bill No. 5989 or the proposed Disaster Resilience Act was passed on September 21.
Castro noted the Minority bloc also did its part in filing resolutions urging the House of Representatives to investigate human rights violations committed amid the lockdown, the exclusion of private school teachers and education support personnel from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)- Enhanced COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) program, and the Department of Education’s work arrangements during the period of the State of National Emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We continued to fight for the rights and benefits of our teachers despite the misprioritization of the Duterte administration,” she said.
No to red-tagging
This year, the public witnessed how the House Minority bloc stood behind their Makabayan colleagues who were red-tagged by government forces and by President Duterte himself.
"On the accusations against our colleagues in the Makabayan bloc, we stand firm on our position that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” Quimbo said.
Paduano also rushed in defense of his colleagues, even as he challenged the military to bring their case to court if they could substantiate their claims.
"We have proper venues to cater the issue such as the Commission on Elections and the House Ethics Committee,” he said.
"They are elected officials and should there be questions about their alleged illegal acts, due process of law dictates that it must be brought to the right forum so they can defend themselves," he added.
Castro noted that previous leadership of Abante and current leadership of Paduano have been proactive in defending them and expressing their support for the Makabayan bloc amid the red-tagging attacks of the Duterte administration.
She lamented that many victims of red-tagging have been killed especially this year, amid a health and economic crisis.
Zara Alvarez, Jerry Proquia, Randy Echanis, Dr. Mary Rose Sacelan, Carlito Badion were some of the victims of red-tagging that led to extrajudicial killings, according to Castro.
"The Duterte administration's red-tagging spares no one and targets anyone who would express dissent over its anti-people policies,” she said.
Red-tagging threatens the safety and security of its targets, and violates their basic human rights, the progressive lawmaker said.
"Amid the many challenges we have faced this 2020 and the challenges we will face in the coming year, we vow to continue to fight for the rights and welfare of teachers, the youth, and the country. No number of threats and red-tagging will stop the Makabayan bloc in exposing the anti-people policies of the Duterte administration,” Castro said.