Matibag ordered to leave Senate budget hearing after accusing Pacquiao of politicking

National Transmission Corporation president Melvin Matibag was ordered to leave a Senate panel’s hearing of the Department of Energy’s proposed 2022 budget after accusing Senator Manny Pacquiao of using the deliberations for his political agenda.

At the early part of the budget briefing, Pacquiao presented a video questioning the DOE’s engagement with private company—Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP).

The lawmaker claimed that DOE had given EIMOP the power to become an independent electricity stock market operator even though its background did not meet the requirements set by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 and the firm only had P7,000 paid-up capital.

Pacquiao then linked Matibag to the issue particularly his wife, Ma. Rene Ann Lourdes Matibag who is an incorporator of EIMOP, as well as Matibag’s fraternity brother Richard Nethercott who allegedly sits as EIMOP president and CEO.

“Kailangan ko lang malaman anong meron ang EIMOP bakit kinuha ito e hindi ito pumapasa sa qualification ng EPIRA Law at ang EIMOP ang isa sa board ng IEMOP is ang asawa ni Atty. Matibag,” Pacquiao said.

(I just want to know what's with IEMOP that they were considered qualified even though they did not meet the qualifications of the EPIRA Law. One of the IEMOP's board members is the wife of Atty. Matibag.)

Responding to this, Matibag asked Pacquiao why is he being linked to the issue on IEMOP, saying TransCo is no longer connected to IEMOP after the takeover of Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC).

“Alam ninyo let's call a spade a spade dito sa hearing na ito, this is all political, Senator Pacquiao. Alam naman natin na ito ang pinapasabi mo bago ka umalis e, nu’ng umalis ka na sinasabi mong mayroon kang pasabog,” Matibag said.

(You know, let's call a spade a spade in this hearing, this is all political, Senator Pacquiao. We know that this is the issue that you mentioned before you left for your boxing match. You said you have revelations.)

“‘Wag tayong magmalinis dito (Let's not pretend to be clean and untainted here),” he added, while Pacquiao is trying to argue his allegations.

At this point, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who presides over the hearing, called out Matibag for calling the hearing “political.”

“This is my committee and you have no right of calling this hearing a political hearing. This is a budget hearing, the senators are entitled to ask policy questions,” Gatchalian said in an agitated tone.

“You have no right of calling this a political hearing. You are out of order. You are no longer recognized. We’ve given you a chance to answer the policy question but instead you insulted this committee by calling this a political hearing. Di naman fair 'yon (That is not fair),” he emphasized.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III then asked Gatchalian what the committee will do with Matibag since he was declared out of order.

“He should leave the hearing. We will remove him from the Webex list. I am directing the committee secretary to remove Atty. Matibag  from the list in Webex. He is out of order,” Gatchalian ordered.

Pacquiao then apologized for the ruckus and called Matibag “disrespectful.”

“Sorry for that. Bastos itong si Atty. Matibag e. Sayang ang pagka-lawyer n’ya e parang walang pinag-aralan. Pinagyayabang pa n’ya na mas matalino s’ya pero dito sa attitude n'ya e walang kagalang-galang parang hindi nakapag-aral… Akala mo kung sinong matapang. Akala niya tatayo ang balahibo ko sa kanya,” Pacquiao added.

(Atty. Matibag is disrespectful. He acted like he is not a lawyer. He is boasting about his education but his attitude does not reflect that. He acts like he is tough but I am not scared of him.)

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi likewise apologized for Matibag’s behavior.

“If you are offended by Atty. Matibag, I have to make that apology considering he comes from DOE family,” Cusi said.

In a statement, Matibag apologized to the public for his “temperament” which he said was brought about by his indignation  from the “unfair hearing.”

“I truly respect the Senate of the Philippines as an institution. However, in recent months, Senator Manny Pacquiao and his political allies [have] been using the Senate as an apparatus to spew out propaganda to paint us black and hide under the cover of parliamentary immunity to make sure they can’t be held accountable for the misinformation that they foment,” he said.

He cried foul of Pacquiao’s presentation which displayed his photo, implying his alleged association with EIMOP.

“It is clear as day that Senator Manny Pacquiao is exploiting the Senate Budget Hearing to retaliate against me for his ouster in PDP LABAN where he was forced to use an inconsequential and an inactive political party in PROMDI for his presidential ambition,” he said.

Matibag said he is willing to face any charges that Pacquiao will file against him "in a legal forum" where he is allowed to defend himself and not be made a "punching bag and be subjected to political persecution" by the lawmaker and his allies.

"Senator Manny Pacquiao should not be allowed to misuse the Senate’s authority in pursuit of his own personal gains,” he added.

The camps of Pacquiao and Cusi are currently engaged in a feud as they both assert authority over the ruling party, PDP-Laban.

Pacquiao is allied with Pimentel while Cusi is backed by Matibag.

The feud between the two camps started when Cusi’s group pushed for PDP-Laban national council meetings and assemblies without the blessing of Pacquiao and Pimentel, who were then the party's president and executive vice chairman, respectively.

Cusi’s group had already filed a petition before the Commission on Elections seeking to declare Pacquiao and Pimentel as illegal representatives of the party.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao’s group has maintained that they are the legitimate PDP-Laban group.

Pimentel has emphasized that he has been a member of PDP-Laban since the 1980s. His father, the late Senate President Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel, Jr., was one of the founders of the party.—AOL, GMA News