Former JDV allies justify 'Yes' vote
Former allies of ousted House Speaker Jose de Venecia in Panay who voted to oust him yesterday justified their votes to replace him with Davao Rep. Prospero Nograles.
Iloilo Rep. Janet Garin said she voted against De Venecia because of "growing complaints" within their party that the former Speaker has not been consulting with their group in his stance on issues affecting the administration.
She said their partymates also complained of the De Venecia's decision to allow congressmen to sit as chair of two or more committees which is against the usual practice.
He made a lot of accommodations that violated House rules," Garin said in a telephone interview.
Antique Rep. Exequiel Javier, also a partymate of De Venecia, said he voted to replace the former Speaker because "he was already acting on his own."
He was moving toward the opposition and he made personal attacks against the President and the First Family in his speech," said Javier in a separate phone interview.
Another former De Venecia ally, Iloilo City Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr., said he was already prepared to stick with De Venecia but changed his mind after the former Speaker made the speech attacking the President.
We wanted to preserve the status quo but he went into a tirade against President Arroyo's family. There was no way that the status quo would be preserved after that," said Gonzalez, the son and namesake of the Justice Secretary, a staunch ally of the President.
Gonzalez said that when De Venecia made the "unexpected" speech, "it was painfully apparent that he was burning the bridges with Malacañang."
When asked to comment on reports that incentives were promised to congressmen in exchange for supporting Nograles, Gonzalez said he "heard of talks that funds and incentives were given."
But I have no personal knowledge of that," said Gonzalez.