NEWS
Speaker must face charges

LRV: Pulido complaint involves grave offenses

LRV STAND - Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte (2nd Dist. Camarines Sur), KAMPI national president and leader of the House Reform Bloc, is congratulated by congressmen from different political parties including House Minority Floor Leader Ronaldo Zamora after delivering his privilege speech where he clarifi ed that he is not joining at this time the ouster move against Speaker Jose de Venecia. He, however said that the Speaker must answer graft charges against him and disclose how the P3.5 billion House budget is being spent. (Andie R. Geñorga)

Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte, KAMPI national president, clarified that he will not participate at this time in any move to oust Speaker Jose de Venecia only because his son Joey de Venecia III testifi ed in the Senate against First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.

But Speaker de Venecia must have to face the serious charges against him by Atty. Roberto Rafael J. Pulido for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the conflict of interest provision of the constitution.

In a privilege speech in the House of Representatives on September 25, 2007, Congressman Villafuerte who is a key member of the House Reform Bloc said that in his complaint Atty. Pulido pointed out that in 1993 when Speaker de Venecia was already Speaker his son Joey organized and incorporated the Multi-Media Telephony, Inc. (MTI).

In 1995, again during the incumbency of his father, Joey de Venecia III sought a legislative franchise for his MTI. Consequently, the House of Representatives enacted RA 7908 entitled “An Act Granting the Multi-Media Telephony Incorporated a franchise to construct, establish, operate and maintain radio paging system in the Philippines on February 23, 1995.

Pulido also cited that again in 1997 while de Venecia was still Speaker Congress enacted RA 8332 amending the original franchise of MTI, allowing it to operate a broadband network.

Pulido said that Joey de Venecia’s company with the permission and support of his father applied for an exclusive right to build, operate and own a national broadband network which is expressly prohibited by the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Constitution.

Still not content with special privileges granted by his father’s offi ce, the complaint read, Joey de Venecia III in November, 2006 submitted an unsolicited proposal to set up another private broadband network to be used by the government. The proposal was submitted by Joey de Venecia through Amsterdam Holdings, Inc., a company he admits to have formed and owned.

Relatives within the third degree of consanguinity of the President, Vice President, Senate President and the Speaker are prohibited under the law to apply or enter into an agreement with the government, this was stressed by Congressman Villafuerte during his privilege speech.

Speaker de Venecia has committed a gross violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standard which prohibits and frowns upon undue influence of the Speaker to use his power and ascendancy to obtain undue benefits for relatives, the Camarines Sur solon said.

Congressman Villafuerte said he rose on the question of personal and collective privilege to set the records straight on his position regarding the leadership of Speaker de Venecia because the Speaker had insinuated that he was plotting to oust him because of Joey de Venecia’s testimony.

Congressman Villafuerte also emphasized that the Reform Bloc has many valid causes against Speaker de Venecia, among them the House budget itself.

While scrutinizing the budgets of other departments, no one in the House of Representatives has bothered to look into the House budget. He said that P1 billion of the P3.5 billion House budget is classifi ed as miscellaneous and extraordinary expenses and no one knows where such fund specifically goes and why.

Following his privilege speech the House of Representatives approved his motion that the books of account of the House of Representatives be opened and the proposed budget for 2008 be presented at a hearing by the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Accounts.