‘Gentleman’ Mikey won’t lash back at Bello for anti-Arroyo speech

Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Mikey Arroyo has no plans of taking the floor to lash back at Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello for the scathing privilege speech delivered against his mother, former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. "We will not retaliate. We were taught by our parents to behave and be a gentleman at all times," Arroyo said Tuesday, a day after Bello delivered his controversial speech highlighting the former state leader’s alleged corrupt practices. Arroyo said he has yet to talk to his mother regarding Bello's accusations. He said he cannot blame Bello for his actuation. “Well, ganoon talaga character niya (That’s his character)." Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong, an ally of Mrs. Arroyo, believed Bello’s remarks were unparliamentary and "can be a cause of action for the ethics committee." Asked if the House minority bloc will file a complaint against Bello, he said they will wait for Mrs. Arroyo’s reaction first. The former President was no longer in the session hall when Bello delivered his speech. She left right after taking her oath as a new member of the chamber. Unparliamentary Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, a stalwart of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, clarified that it was the allies of the administration who requested that the “unparliamentary" portions of Bello’s speech be deleted from the record. "I am not privy to any possible action but it was [Navotas] Rep. Toby Tiango who moved for the removal of the unparliamentary remarks made by Congressman Bello, and [House deputy speaker and Northern Samar) Rep. Raul Daza who was the presiding officer that time made the necessary deletion. The two are not part of the opposition," he said. Lagman, however, agreed that the language Bello used "lacks of propriety and decorum." Elena Bautista-Horn, Mrs. Arroyo’s spokesperson, said she has yet to talk with the former Philippine leader. During Monday’s session, Davao del Sur Rep Marc Douglas Cagas IV said he was reserving his right to bring the derogatory remark before the ethics committee. He said they would be setting a bad precedent if they would let one of them show disrespect toward a colleague. "Whether we like it or not, the former President will be here for three years just like anybody, like any one of us here. We should be entitled to our respect and courtesy," he said. No Arroyo ally On the other hand, Tiangco stressed Tuesday that he is not an ally of Mrs. Arroyo despite his request that portions of Bello’s speech be omitted from the records. "The only reason I wanted that some portions of the speech be stricken out from the records was because I believed that those portions of the speech were unparliamentary," Tiangco said in a text message to reporters. He said that under Section 120 of the Rules of the House, they are not allowed to inflict injury or harm on the person or integrity of a member of the House even during a privilege speech. "I felt those statements violated this rule. It is not about defending GMA (Arroyo’s initials), but adhering strictly to the rules of the House. GMA is coincidental to this issue, and I would have stood up in the same manner for any colleague under the same circumstance," he said. Tiangco said he has been anti-Arroyo since 2001 to the time she stepped down from office because of his belief and conviction that her assumption into the presidency was not in accordance with the rule of law. "Adhering to the rule of law is a very strong conviction for me, and I will stand up for the rule of law at all times and no matter who the personality involved is," he said. — KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV