House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe (left), former president Rodrigo Duterte (MANILA BULLETIN,

House Majority Leader Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Mannix Dalipe reminded former president Rodrigo Duterte that it was the House of Representatives that bailed out his government when the Covid-19 crisis struck the country in 2020.

In a radio interview Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 17, Dalipe bared that he and his colleagues are saddened by the recent criticism of the former president about the House, of which the latter was a former member of.

“Marami sa amin ngayon sa 19th Congress, nanilbihan din noong 18th Congress, noong pangulo pa si President Duterte. At alam niya ang ginawa namin, sinuportahan namin siya lahat todo-todo sa lahat ng mga kailangan niya sa legislative agenda niya. At noong panahon ng Covid, sinuportahan siya ng Kongreso at nagtataka kami, bakit ngayon, iba na yung tingin niya sa aming mga kongresista,” he said.

(Many members of the current 19th Congress also served in the 18th Congress, when President Duterte was at the helm. He knows what we did, we gave him our full support in terms of what he needed in his legislative agenda. Congress supported him when Covid struc, but now we're wondering why he now sees us congressmen in a different way.)

Dalipe said the House extended all-out support to Duterte, his fellow Mindanaoan, even before the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Even before nung panahon ng Covid, kung anong sabihin ng pangulo natin, we heeded his call. Hindi namin siya iniwan, tiniyak namin na may sapat na budget ang Duterte adminsitration noon, noong panahon ng Covid para meron siyang pondo para mamigay ng ayuda. 'Yung mga kailangan sa kalusugan noong panahon ng Covid, lahat sinuportahan namin siya,” he added.

(We heeded his call on whatever things he needed. We didn't leave him, we ensured that the Duterte administration has enough budget during Covid time so that he could have the funds to distribute as aid. All the needs of the health sector during Covid time, we supported him in all of these).

“Kaya lang medyo nakakalungkot nga kami bakit ganito na 'yung mga statement niya ngayon,” stressed the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) stalwart.

(But now we are saddened, why are his statements like this.)

Duterte served as president from 2016 to 2022. That latter part of his term was hit by the pandemic.

It was in 2020 when the House of Representatives passed its first two Covid response measures. These were the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, enacted in March 2020; and the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act ,enacted in July 2020.

Duterte was Davao congressman from 1998 to 2001. He is also a longtime former Davao City mayor.

Last week, the former chief executive linked the House to alleged misuse of public funds. He claimed that there was unlimited "pork barrel" in the chamber.

Duterte further described Congress, of which the House is a part of, as "the most rotten institution" in the country. The other part of Congress is the Senate.