“IT’S THE prerogative of the House.”
Terse was the initial statement of former president and current Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on her demotion from senior deputy speaker to simply deputy speaker last week.
Only to be followed by a longer statement that, among others, said:
“In the Philippines, the House leadership has traditionally been closely associated with the sitting President, and this relationship of deep trust between Speaker and President has been beneficial in smoothly enacting the legislative agenda of the President. I think this is acceptable, because in the Philippines, the check and balance needed in any democracy has traditionally been well-provided by the Senate.
“When President Marcos won, I wanted to aspire for the Speakership of the House. But it soon became apparent that he was most comfortable with then Congressman Martin as Speaker. I quickly realized the wisdom embedded in that sentiment.
“By this disavowal, I hope that we can preempt any needless politicking so that the House and our President can focus on the job at hand with minimum distraction.”
Politicking. Distraction. The operative words unlost to House Speaker Martin G. Romualdez who, after days silence, issued his own statement, thus:
“There is still much work to do, so occasional moves to destabilize the House should be nipped in the bud.
“The House cannot be distracted from finding legislative solutions to issues that affect the lives of ordinary Filipinos. Rather than engaging in politicking, I would rather that we, in the House of Representatives, remain focused on more urgent matters.
“The House of the People is in order. This same level of order is what allowed us to approve on third and final reading at least 29 of the 42 bills that comprise the legislative agenda of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“[The House] should prioritize the real problems of the ordinary people, the only thing that deserves attention. Let’s set aside premature politicking.”
Vice President Sara – without the H – Duterte took politicking to down the basest plane altogether in her resignation from the Lakas-CMD immediately after GMA’s demotion: “I am here today because of the trust of the Filipino people in me to lead and serve them and the country, and this cannot be poisoned by political toxicity or undermined by execrable political powerplay.”
Execrable toxicity. The plot thickens? More popcorn?
Au contraire, it is all Rabelais: “Bring down the curtain, the farce is played out.”
