 |
REFORM BLOC – Together with Cebu Congressman Pablo Garcia, Camarines Sur
Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte (above photo) heads the Reform Bloc in the House of Representatives |
A Reform Bloc of about 50 members in the House of Representatives led by Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte and Cebu Congressman Pablo Garcia will continue to push for reform measures to correct faulty systems that contribute to the very poor image of the legislative body.
Congressman Villafuerte said that as an initial salvo the Reform Bloc will ask the Accounts Committee to disclose and explain the program of the expenditures from July to December, 2007 of the Php3.4 billion budget of the House of Representatives.
But even as the group started to buckle down on reform measures Congressman Villafuerte continued to lash at the way the speakership issue was resolved Monday July 23.
“There was actually no election”, Congressman Villafuerte said. “It was a travesty of democracy and a mockery of parliamentary procedures”, he added. Cebu Congressman Pablo Garcia whom Congressman Villafuerte was supporting for the speakership had commented what they were “never given a chance to enter the contest”.
Congressman Villafuerte who was slated to nominate Garcia was deliberately not recognized by the temporary presiding officer, an obviously pre-arranged tactic of Speaker Jose de Venecia allies.
Garcia said that the Speaker’s election was irregular because it was done without the House adopting the rules of procedure.
Garcia’s camp wanted secret balloting as the mode of electing the Speaker while Speaker de Venecia’s allies wanted it by viva voce. But the issue was not even discussed nor resolved on the floor as the presiding officer continued to dodge those whom he knew would raise the issue and nominate Garcia.
