SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez expressed optimism Friday that the purge of House leaders who did not support the administration’s death penalty bill would not hurt his leadership.
Alvarez also said the supermajority coalition in the House of Representatives “would remain solid” despite his decision to strip 12 leaders, including former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, of their posts.
“We did not force anyone to vote in favor of the death penalty bill. I respected their decision and I hope they also respect our policy [to remove those who did not toe the party line],” Alvarez said.
He said the revamp would continue when Congress resumes session on May 2.
“Those whose positions were not declared vacant [on Wednesday night], we will do it when we resume session in May,” said Alvarez.
Alvarez also allayed concerns that the policy he laid down in connection with the death penalty bill has eroded the independence of the House from Malacañang.
“That is a leadership-sponsored bill, and if you are part of the leadership, I think you should support the leadership. Now, if you don’t want to, of course we’ll find people who will,” Alvarez said.
Congress went on Lenten recess on Wednesday night and will resume sessions on May 2.
The bill seeking to reimpose capital punishment on drug-related cases was approved on third and final reading last Wednesday night after 217 lawmakers voted in favor of the Palace-backed measure.
A total of 54 lawmakers voted against the measure.
The other committee chairmen who were absent on voting day but whose posts were not yet declared vacant were Reps. Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, chairman of the committee on dangerous drugs; Amado Espino Jr. of Pangasinan, national defense and security; and Delphine Lee of AGRI party-list, ethics and privileges.
Barbers, a co-author of the bill, failed to attend the session as he was in his district to attend to the needs of his constituents who were victims of a recent 5.9 magnitude earthquake.
So far only, Rep. Evelina Escudero of Sorsogon, chairman of the committee on basic education, has been replaced because the National People’s Coalition has picked a definite nominee, Cebu Rep. Ramon Durano, to take her post.
