Filtered By: Topstories
News

JDV seeks dismissal of ethics case against him


MANILA, Philippines - The man who led the House of Representatives for five terms implored a House committee on Wednesday not to dismiss him from the chamber. In his eight-page answer to the Ethics and Privileges Committee over charges of disorderly behavior, former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. prayed that the complaint filed against him for saying "everybody," even congressmen, is "for sale" be dismissed for lack of merit. "The records of the House committee on Justice — of which this honorable committee may take judicial notice — will reveal that such statements of the respondent do not and cannot in any way be regarded as disorderly behavior enough to warrant any form of punishment as provided in the Constitution or in rules of the House," said De Venecia. De Venecia's letter was in response to the complaint lodged against him stemming from a privilege speech of Agusan del Norte Rep. Edelmiro Amante protesting some of de Venecia's statements during the impeachment proceedings against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in November 2008. If found guilty, De Venecia could be suspended or expelled from the House. In his letter, De Venecia denied saying all members of the House can be bought off, adding that he "continues to have the greatest admiration and respect for the integrity of a number of congressmen and women." However, he maintained his earlier allegation that President Arroyo distributed money to some members of the House to pass a "sham" impeachment complaint against her in 2007. The Pangasinan representative said he can prove his allegations, as he still has the P500,000 he claimed was offered him in exchange for the endorsement of the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Roberto Rafael Pulido. De Venecia said he should not be punished for telling the "truth." "Once again, this House is poised to shoot the messenger bearing the bad news. But it cannot deny — and it should not deny — that Filipinos are seeing such strong evidence of corruption in nearly every aspect of our collective life that they are becoming pessimistic about the very future of our nation," said De Venecia. "Shooting the messenger will not solve the problems. It will exacerbate them instead. We must work to rid national society of the pervasive corruption that's demoralizing our people," he added. De Venecia also reiterated his call for a moral revolution, saying Filipinos are "facing a crisis of values." "We must do no less than foment a moral revolution in our public life. We must stir up a revolution of values that will set unimpeachable standards of service and morality for politics, for leadership, and for governance," De Venecia said. Formerly one of Mrs. Arroyo's staunchest allies, De Venecia had a falling-out with the President after his son, Jose "Joey" de Venecia III, testified that there were anomalies in the government's national broadband network deal with Chinese corporation ZTE. The older De Venecia was then ousted from the House leadership in February 2008. - GMANews.TV
LOADING CONTENT