The mace that was used during the gathering of the supporters of Speaker-in-waiting Lord Allan Velasco on Monday was not the “official” symbol of authority of the House of Representatives, the Sergeant at Arms of the chamber said.
House Sergeant at Arms Ramon Apolinario, a retired police lieutenant general, said: "I am in custody of the official mace of the House of Representatives. That is not the official mace."
The camp of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said Velasco’s meeting outside the House complex in Batasan Hills also in Quezon City used an unofficial mace.
Buhay Party-list Rep. Lito Atienza, who supports Velasco, downplayed it and said: “That’s just a symbol of authority. We made our own mace.”
Photos of the Velasco group's gathering at the Celebrity Sports Plaza in Quezon City with their version of the House mace—the symbol of the authority of the chamber which should be present during sessions—were released to the media.
Deputy Speaker Neptali Gonzalez II also said the "real" maces are currently in the possession of the House Sergeant-At-Arms.
However, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) National President Domingo Cayosa said having the mace present was just part of the internal rules of the House.
“Under the rules, Congress ideally or traditionally conducts business in Batasan, but they can agree to conduct business anywhere by majority vote. This has happened in the past. It can be online. With 186 votes, they (Velasco group) can decide to change the rules,” he said.
True enough, the Velasco-allied lawmakers at the Plaza even elected new House officials with Mao Aplasca as the Sergeant-at-arms and Jocelia Bighani Sibin as Secretary-General.
The last time the mace issue cropped up was during the last session of the 17th Congress, when Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was elected Speaker, unseating Davao Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez.
House Secretary General Jose Luis Montales, on the other hand, said in a statement the four “historical maces” of the House of Representatives, as well as the one being used currently, are with the House Sergeant at Arms.
Both Apolinario and Montales are appointees of Speaker Cayetano.
House rules mandate that the mace, being the symbol of the chamber's authority, should be displayed at all official functions of the chamber and its absence will invalidate the particular function that took place in its absence. It is traditionally placed at the foot of the Speaker's rostrum.
