Lacson questions Ungab's ouster as Appropriations panel chair

Senator Panfilo Lacson questioned Wednesday the removal of Davao City Representative Isidro Ungab as chairperson of the House appropriations committee, saying the latter is very qualified for the post.

Lacson made the comment during the Commission on Appointments’ (CA) deliberation on the confirmation of Ungab and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio as Army Reservist Colonels.

“Why were you ousted as the Appropriations committee chair? I ask that because I find you highly competent; you have integrity…in fact, you are more qualified than most House members to sit as chairman of the House committee on appropriations,” he said.

“Kaya nagtataka kaming lahat bakit ka natanggal,” added Lacson, chairman of the Senate committee on accounts and known critic of questionable insertions in the national budget.

Ungab was coy on answering the senator’s question.

“I actually have no idea as to why I was ousted. I just read about it in the papers,”  he said.

Earlier, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said Ungab was removed from his post because their working relationship has become unproductive and that the latter and another House member, Salvador Leachon of Oriental Mindoro—who lost his post as a member of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal—have become more interested in intrigues.

Ungab and Leachon’s removal came after Cayetano accused Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco of plotting his ouster.

Velasco, who is supposed to succeed Cayetano as Speaker after October this year as earlier agreed upon by both parties, has denied the allegations.

Ungab’s political party Hugpong ng Pagbabago chaired by Duterte-Carpio, on the other hand, called the ouster as grossly unacceptable.

Lacson did not rest on Ungab and asked the same question to Duterte-Carpio during the same CA hearing.

To which Duterte-Carpio replied, “I had nothing to do with this removal, Sir.”—AOL, GMA News