Rep. Nograles: House rules violated in solon's ouster as deputy speaker

House of Representatives' rules were violated when the chamber replaced 1-PACMAN party-list Representative Mikee Romero with Capiz Representative Fredenil Castro to the deputy speaker post, said PBA party-list Representative Jericho Nograles on Sunday.

"Meron tayong rules sa House of Representatives at halatang hindi talaga nasundan ang rules na 'yan. The rules of the House of Representatives were violated with the substitution of Fred Castro vice Mikee Romero," Nograles said in a Dobol B sa News TV interview.

On Friday, Deputy Majority Leader XJ Romualdo moved to unseat Romero as deputy speaker in the middle of the plenary deliberations for the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021.

Romero was among those who accompanied Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco, Alan Peter Cayetano's rival over speakership post, in their meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang.

Romero was replaced by Castro, who earlier delivered a privilege speech supporting Cayetano’s continued tenure as Speaker and urged lawmakers supportive of Velasco's speakership bid to quit their leadership posts.

But according to Nograles, there can only be a vacancy in a seat at the House when any of the officers dies, resigns, or is permanently incapacitated, as stated in Section 13 of the House rules.

"Ang pagkakaalam ko si former Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero ay hindi naman siya namatay, hindi naman siya nag-resign, hindi naman siya permanently incapacitated, at wala namang motion sa floor declaring the seat of Mikee Romero vacant.

He also pointed out that under Section 11 of the same rules, an election should be held in case there is vacancy in a seat at the House.

"Wala tayong narinig na eleksyon doon. Ang nakita natin doon is a substitution. Wala rin yan sa rules of the House of Representatives," Nograles said.

"At napaka-weird niyan, dahil kapag ganyan na practice, e 'di ibig sabihin pwede rin natin i-substitute ang Speaker without election. Pwede i-substitute ang sergeant-at arms, pwedeng i-substitute ang secretary general without election, without vacancy," he added.

As of this posting, GMA News Online was trying to contact the office of Majority Leader Martin Romualdez for comment regarding Nograles' statement.

Earlier, Oriental Mindoro Representative Salvador Leachon, who is allied with Velasco, accused Cayetano's camp of being vindictive following Romero's removal as deputy speaker.

“Ito ay patunay kung ano ang tunay na kulay ng lideratong ito sa Kamara, pagiging ‘bengatibo’ dahil sa kaalyado lamang ni Cong. Lord Velasco si Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero," Leachon said.

“Ito ay pagdudulot sa paglawak ng hidwaan ng mga mambabatas. Sila mismo ang nalabag sa kasunduan na walang aalisin sa mga committee chairmanships base sa pagkakaiba ng political affiliations,” he added. —LBG, GMA News