House ethics panel creates reconciliation sub-committee

The House Committee on Ethics and Privileges has created a reconciliation subcommittee that will try mediation in all cases filed before it.

This was revealed by House Deputy Speaker and Antipolo City 1st district Representative Ronaldo Puno in an interview Monday.

Puno attended the ethics committee's closed-door hearing set for this morning.

He is one of 29 complainants against Cavite 4th district Representative Francisco "Kiko" Barzaga for conduct unbecoming a member of the House of Representatives and for violating the 1987 Constitution and House rules.

Puno is also a respondent in the ethics complaint filed by Barzaga for mentioning mental health, for using the ethics committee to allegedly suppress political dissent, and for using photos involving private individuals.

But both Puno and Barzaga said they are not open to reconciliation.

"Pinangunahan ko na sila. Sinabi ko, there is no reconciliation because this is not a personal grievance. Hindi naman sa akin ang insulto. Ang insulto is to the institution," Puno said.

(I told them beforehand ... there is no reconciliation because this is not a personal grievance. I was not the one insulted, it was the institution.)

"I was telling the Ethics Committee, we filed this complaint because we want standards of behavior to be established in Congress, no? Like, okay ba maglagay sa website namin ng mga malalaswang litrato? Okay ba insultuhin namin yung kababaihan? Okay ba sabihin namin sa mga kabataan na mag-Congressman na kayo para yumaman kayo? Tama ba yon? So if this is something that is acceptable behavior for a Congressman, I want the Ethics Committee to rule on it. Because ako, tingin ko that it definitely should be prohibited," Puno added.

"I prefer not to settle because I want to try to have a hearing and to try to make my defense there kasi mas maganda talaga 'pag (it would really be better) if we can all air our grievances out and to talk about it," Barzaga said in an ambush interview this morning.

When asked if he is ready to face sanctions, if there are any, Barzaga replied, "I'm ready for anything. I fully intend. When it all started, when I fought against (former House Speaker and Leyte 1st district Representative Martin) Romualdez, I fully intended it. I was fully expecting to die but like, kung sanctions lang naman, eh di that's much better than dying."

"Suspension, removal, imprisonment, like, those are all possible. But that's fine," Barzaga added.

Imprisonment, however, is not a sanction imposed by the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

Barzaga also maintains he has not done anything wrong.

"I won't be defending myself in the Ethics Committee if I do believe that i violated anything there," Barzaga said.

Lower standards?

But Puno countered, "He does not believe he did anything wrong because obviously his standards are much lower than the average person. So I think maybe he should be given a lesson by the Ethics Committee that, that kind of behavior is not desirable, it is not acceptable, especially if you are a member of the House of Representatives."

"We are not filing this complaint because he has committed any crime. We are filing this complaint because he has violated the rules of the House. So, yeah, the standards of behavior of a congressman are higher than an average person because you carry responsibility, you represent your district, you're supposed to be giving value to the trust that was given you by your constituents," Puno added.

Barzaga said he came late to the Ethics Committee hearing and was not able to speak because "we were very busy last night. I was just playing games on my computer." — RSJ, GMA Integrated News