Junk complaint against me, Bello asks House ethics panel

Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello on Monday asked the House ethics committee to dismiss the complaint filed against him for his supposed disorderly behavior and “unparliamentary remarks" that he made against former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. In an 11-page response to the ethics complaint filed by Reps. Marc Douglas Cagas (Davao del Sur), Ignacio Arroyo (Negros Occidental), Simeon Datumanong (Maguindanao), Ma. Milagros Magsaysay (Zambales), and Aurelio Gonzales (Pampanga) in August, Bello said he was just telling the truth when he delivered his privilege speech early that month. Bello said he used no expletives in his speech or statements that could be considered as “unparliamentary" or indecorous. “Certainly, [the remarks] may not be flattering to Mrs Arroyo — after all who would want to have [their] administration characterized as corrupt — but they are widely held and in that sense, validly expressed," he said. His privilege speech may have been harsh, may have had a strong shock effect and may have made characterizations that people disagree with — but these cannot be considered “unparliamentary," Bello said. According to him, “unparliamentary" language was using vulgar, gutter language to address colleagues. “I did not use such words to address or to describe the representative of the second district of Pampanga," he said. “There is a world of a difference between such gutter language and words and expressions of disgust that are civilized and totally legitimate for use in any context," he added. “[The remarks] were simply the best vehicles I could use to convey my message that the House of the People must not provide political asylum to perpetrators of grand-scale corruption and abuse of power such as Gloria Macapagal Arroyo," the party-list representative said. “These are words that I would use again today to address or refer to the representative of the second district of Pampanga," he maintained. He also added that the statements he made pertained to the Arroyo administration as a whole and not to the personal character of Mrs. Arroyo. “They are thus not personal attacks or character assassination but opinions, shared by many Filipinos, on the conduct of a previous administration — a valid public issue for discussion by the people’s representatives," he said. Chilling effect At a press conference, Bello said that the charge of “unparliamentary" language had no substance and was allegedly being used simply as a smokescreen for its real objective: to deter members of Congress from stating the truth about Mrs. Arroyo. “This move is intended to have a chilling effect," he warned. “And if allowed to prosper, (these moves) will greatly curtail the unrestricted freedom of speech that members of Congress are constitutionally entitled to as they perform their legislative duties," he said. The real author of the ethics complaint against him is none other than Mrs Arroyo, Bello claimed. He said he would rather be suspended from the House rather than apologize to Mrs. Arroyo. Allies of the former President filed an ethics complaint against Bello for his alleged “unparliamentary" remarks made when he delivered a scathing privilege speech against Mrs. Arroyo on August 2, 2010. The five lawmakers sought Bello’s suspension, saying he was liable and “must be disciplined" for accusing Mrs. Arroyo of corruption. The 25-member House ethics committee is headed by Bohol Rep. Erico Aumentado. - DM, GMANews.TV