Alvarez: Anti-death bill House leaders axed after Congress break

The House leadership will implement its “policy” to replace anti-death penalty solons in key posts when Congress returns from break in May, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said Wednesday.

Alvarez said the seats of these House leaders “will be declared vacant” when they resume session after the two-month break.

“Hindi makakalimutan,” he said. “We’ve asked the parties to provide their lists for replacement.”

Before the death penalty bill was put to a vote, Alvarez made a threat that he will replace House leaders who will vote against the proposed measure.

He, however, backtracked slightly over whether the policy will apply to a House leader who missed the vote. He said an exemption may be made if the absence was “reasonable.”

Batanes Rep. Dina Abad, chair of the House committee on government reorganization, was absent last March 7, citing “medical emergency.”

The reshuffle was initially expected immediately after House Bill 4727 was passed on third and final reading with a resounding approval from 217 lawmakers.

Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the following committee chairs were among the 54 legislators who voted ‘no’ to the measure:

• Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao (People Participation)
• Gabriela Party-list Rep. Emmi de Jesus (Poverty Alleviation)
• Sorsogon Rep. Evelina Escudero (Basic Education)
• Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto (Civil Service)
• ACT-Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio (Public Information)
• AMIN Party-list Rep. Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman (Muslim Affairs)
• Buhay Party-list Rep. Mariano Michael Velarde Jr. (Overseas Workers Affairs)
• Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate (Natural Resources)

Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Ramirez-Sato, a member of the House contingent to the Commission on Appointments (CA), also voted against the death penalty bill.

Alvarez said Arroyo’s replacement as deputy speaker “is as good as the day follows night.” He also maintains the same for Sato, even after Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas affirmed her argument that the Speaker cannot ax her.

Sato and Fariñas have said that only the Liberal Party, of which she is a member, may replace her as a member of the House contingent to the CA, since it is a constitutional body. —ALG, GMA News