Incoming House Speaker wants probes vs. Roxas, De Lima, Abaya

Incoming Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez wants the House of Representatives to conduct investigations against former members of the Aquino Cabinet for what he feels were their shortcomings at their respective departments.

In an interview with reporters, Alvarez specifically mentioned former Justice secretary and now Senator Leila de Lima for her failure to address the illegal drugs inside National Bilibid Prisons and former Transportation Secretaries Mar Roxas and Emilio Abaya for their failure to address woes related to the Metro Rail Transit.

“Actually ang papaimbestigahan ko dyan kung bakit lumaganap yung illegal drugs sa lahat ng Bilibid prisons noong under the watch of now Senator Leila de Lima. Bakit lumaganap? Bakit hindi na-control yan, yun siguro ang dapat nating imbestigahan,” he said at the sidelines of the fellowship of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in Makati City.

“Yung Department of Transportation under the watch of secretary lumaki yung problema halimbawa sa tren, problema sa issuances ng licenses, plate numbers. E ito ay kapabayaan, dapat meron talagang responsibility, may liability dyan yun mga na-appoint na secretaries,” he added.

Asked if he was referring to Roxas and Abaya, Alvarez replied in the affirmative. He said he wanted both invited to the hearing.

He said he would invite De Lima to the probe but he would not compel her due to legislative courtesy. 

“Kasi ito kung ikaw department head ka, secretary ka, tapos under your watch e lumaki pa yung problema doon sa ahensiya na pinamumunuan mo e dapat me responsibility ka diyan. Ngayon titignan natin kung papaano natin maaaddress ang problema na yan,” he said.

Alvarez said he wants to pass a law that would make secretaries liable for negligence.

“Wala pang batas na ganun na nagpapanagot sa mga department heads na ito. Ang ating intention dito, in aid of legislation, na sana makagawa tayo ng batas na pananagutin natin yung mga present and future Cabinet members na magkaroon ng ganoong kapabayaan sa departamento nila,” he said. 

He denied that his initiative is a way of getting back at the past administration.

“Hindi resbak yan. These are genuine concerns na nangyari. actual ito e. Hindi ito gagawa ko lang, hindi ito guni guni. Talaga naman di ba na lumaganap talaga ang illegal drugs. Hinahanap ng tao talaga ito(ng imbestigasyon) kasi tignan natin kung ano ang bottom line nito, sino ba talaga, bakit nagkaganito, sinong involved?” he said. —JST, GMA News