Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. (Facebook)

Oversight will be the overriding theme in the House of Representatives for the final stretch of the current 19th Congress, particularly on the matter of costly food and electricity.

Thus, said Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. ahead of the resumption of plenary sessions Monday, Jan. 13 after the month-long holiday break.

"Hindi natin hahayaang magpatuloy ang mga maling practice na nagdudulot ng mataas na presyo ng pagkain at kuryente,” Gonzales said.

(We will not allow malpractices that cause the price jumps in food and electricity to continue.)

The quinta-comm, also known as the Murang Pagkain Super-committee, is actively investigating agricultural smuggling, hoarding,and price manipulation, which have been identified as key factors driving food inflation. 

“We are uncovering the mechanisms that allow cartels to thrive, and this House is determined to dismantle these networks of greed,” Gonzales said.

Meanwhile, the House Committees on Ways and Means and on Legislative Franchises have been scrutinizing the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to ensure it meets its obligations, pays the proper taxes and refrains from passing undue charges to consumers. 

The quinta-comm is expected reconfigure soon into the Murang Kuryente Super-committee in order to handle issues concerning the power grid operator and it implications on local electricity costs.

Gonzales said the House of Representatives will also continue to hold lhearings on headline-grabbing topics from the past year.

He noted that the quad-comm has been tackling critical issues, including illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and its links to money laundering, and extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the previous Duterte administration. 

“This probe is not just about accountability: It is about upholding human rights and protecting our national interests,” the Senior Deputy Speaker underscored.  

Another key investigation led by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability has zeroed in on the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) under Vice President Sara Duterte. 

Gonzales also called attention to the alarming proliferation of vloggers and Internet trolls who malign innocent people through fake news.

“Hindi dapat gamitin ang social media para sa paninira at disinformation laban sa mga nagsusulong ng katotohanan at accountability,” he said.

(Social media must not be used for slander and disinformation against those who pursue truth and accountability.)