House session in Batangas defended by minority solons
Published Jan 21, 2020 12:00 am
By Charissa Luci-Atienza
The House of Representatives' scheduled session on Wednesday, January 22 at the Batangas City Convention Center will not in any way inconvenience nor burden the Taal Volcano eruption victims, the House Minority Bloc said on Tuesday, January 21.
House of the Representatives (Manila Bulletin File Photo)
House Minority and Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. and Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin said the House's holding of a session in the Batangas City will serve as a "platform" for the Lower Chamber to know the areas where it can intervene and extend assistance.
"The rationale for this is simple; we need to know first-hand how our countrymen in Batangas were affected in order to see how best we can help them get back on their feet. Given what they have been through, we cannot expect them to make the trip all the way to Quezon City to provide us with this information," Abante told reporters in a press conference.
"We are the House of the People should go there and see what’s happening and be able to make some very important proposals on how to deal not only with this calamity," he added.
Garin said the January 22 session "will not be like the regular sessions" being held in the Batasang Pambansa, as it will be limited to members of Congress and a few secretariat.
She admitted that she was among the few members of the House who questioned the necessity of holding the session in Batangas City, until it was clarified that the session will not unduly burden the Batangas City.
"Let me make it clear that that the Speaker gave instructions that it will be a lean team and in fact, we were all advised not to burden the people there. We are instructed to be self-sustainable, meaning we have to bring our own food," Garin said.
She described the House session as "a platform where Congress will be able to lend listening ears" to the needs and concerns of the local officials of the affected areas.
Abante and Garin were asked to react to Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan's statement posted on Facebook, describing as an additional burden the House's decision to convene a session in Batangas City.
"Not kill joy, afterwards, he will see the benefits ," Abante said, when asked if Pangilinan's gesture was a "kill joy".
Garin agreed with Abante, saying that Pangilinan's concern is "natural".
Pangilinan asked the House members not to serve as additional burden in the middle of calamity.
During the press conference, Garin sought automatic Philhealth coverage for all Taal eruption victims. She even expressed the House Minority bloc's all-out support to any move to augment the national government's assistance to the affected areas by the January 12 eruption of Taal Volcano.
READ MORE: House to hold regular session in Batangas on Wednesday
House of the Representatives (Manila Bulletin File Photo)
House Minority and Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. and Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin said the House's holding of a session in the Batangas City will serve as a "platform" for the Lower Chamber to know the areas where it can intervene and extend assistance.
"The rationale for this is simple; we need to know first-hand how our countrymen in Batangas were affected in order to see how best we can help them get back on their feet. Given what they have been through, we cannot expect them to make the trip all the way to Quezon City to provide us with this information," Abante told reporters in a press conference.
"We are the House of the People should go there and see what’s happening and be able to make some very important proposals on how to deal not only with this calamity," he added.
Garin said the January 22 session "will not be like the regular sessions" being held in the Batasang Pambansa, as it will be limited to members of Congress and a few secretariat.
She admitted that she was among the few members of the House who questioned the necessity of holding the session in Batangas City, until it was clarified that the session will not unduly burden the Batangas City.
"Let me make it clear that that the Speaker gave instructions that it will be a lean team and in fact, we were all advised not to burden the people there. We are instructed to be self-sustainable, meaning we have to bring our own food," Garin said.
She described the House session as "a platform where Congress will be able to lend listening ears" to the needs and concerns of the local officials of the affected areas.
Abante and Garin were asked to react to Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan's statement posted on Facebook, describing as an additional burden the House's decision to convene a session in Batangas City.
"Not kill joy, afterwards, he will see the benefits ," Abante said, when asked if Pangilinan's gesture was a "kill joy".
Garin agreed with Abante, saying that Pangilinan's concern is "natural".
Pangilinan asked the House members not to serve as additional burden in the middle of calamity.
During the press conference, Garin sought automatic Philhealth coverage for all Taal eruption victims. She even expressed the House Minority bloc's all-out support to any move to augment the national government's assistance to the affected areas by the January 12 eruption of Taal Volcano.
READ MORE: House to hold regular session in Batangas on Wednesday