By Junex Doronio
NOT EVEN A FORMER PRESIDENT can denigrate Congress.
Although he did not name names this, in essence, was the firm stance of Speaker Martin Romualdez as he has vowed to “vehemently defend” Congress from the “dissatisfied few” who sow divisiveness by maligning the House of Representatives’ image.
House Senior Deputy Speaker Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga’s 3rd district said that it was former President Rodrigo Duterte who called Congress the country’s “most rotten institution.”
“The one who uttered that word is our chairperson from PDP Laban… I will resign now as a member and officer of PDP Laban. The former President Rodrigo Duterte was the one who said that” Gonzales said on Monday, November 6.
Gonzales was the erstwhile party treasurer of the PDP-Laban which had been “hijacked” by FPRRD from Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, son of the late PDP-Laban founder former Sen. Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr.
“I respect his decision to go out of the party, and I would encourage that those who are not in tune with us, or ‘di niyo nagustuhan, you’re always welcome to go,” Duterte said in reaction to Gonzales’ resignation during the “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” program on SMNI Network.
According to Wikipedia, SMNI is owned and operated by Swara Sug Media Corporation, the parent company of Sonshine Media Network International, a broadcasting arm of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) led by Filipino televangelist and religious leader, Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy.
Crossing party lines, the congressmen also adopted a measure expressing support for Romualdez while taking exception to statements that undermine the lower chamber’s “independence, integrity and reputation.”
(ai/mnm)
