Andaya shrugs off ouster move by LRay Villafuerte

House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr.  shrugged off on Monday the reported ouster move against him by Camarines Sur Representative Luis Raymund "LRay" Villafuerte.

"Hindi ko na pinapatulan yun," Andaya told reporters in a press conference.

Villafuerte reportedly recommended to his fellow lawmakers to oust Andaya from his post due to his continuous tirades against Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno that supposedly further delay the approval of the proposed 2019 national budget.

But Andaya said Villafuerte was meddling in the issue even as he was always absent from plenary sessions.

"Ano yun e, saling-pusa. Nakikihalo ka muna," Andaya said of Villafuerte.

"Yun kasi ang problema kapag absent ka, simula nung isa pang break natin hindi itong break na ito iyong nakaraan na break. Simula nun absent yan e. So paano niya nalaman kung ano iyong mga [issue]?" he added.

For his part, Minority Leader Danilo Suarez said Villafuerte should have left his issues with Andaya in local politics.

"Ginagawa naman ni Congressman Andaya yung trabaho niyang check-and-balance, oversight function, pagre-review ng budget, tapos sasabihin mong magbitiw ka sa [pwesto]. Totally uncalled for," he said.

"Sinasabi ko yung away ninyo sa bahay ng Camarines Sur huwag ninyong dalhin sa Kongreso," he added.

Andaya and Villafuerte, who represents the 1st and 2nd Districts of Camarines Sur, respectively, have not been in good terms.

Both were allegedly involved in a "shouting match" during the one of the meetings at the House of Representatives involving the national budget last September.

According to Villafuerte, Andaya — who already had an earlier altercation with him — cursed and "bullied" him as he was making a manifestation on the budget.

Andaya is also running against incumbent Camarines Sur governor, Luis Miguel Villafuerte, Villafuerte's son, in the 2019 elections. —LDF, GMA News