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This early,Gloria Arroyo’s boys squabble over spoils

Kampi clique eyes powerful committees

A clique in the pro-administration Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) has put Speaker Jose de Venecia’s leadership to a test in a move to gain control over powerful and prestigious committees.

It is in these committees where proposed laws are first discussed, deliberated upon and are either passed or shelved by lawmakers, depending on who wields the greater influence.

Lawmakers, driven by the desire to get hold of several important committees, therefore devise game plans to win the juicy seats.

Aside from receiving additional funds for committee functions, a bigger staff composition and overseas trips, countless other perks come from these powerful committees which are treated as spoils of war.

Rep. Luis Villafuerte of Camarines Sur, for one, is reportedly eyeing the chairmanship of the committee on appropriations which is considered as the most powerful panel at the House.

It was Villafuerte, Kampi acting president, who floated in the media that 41 party members, along with at least 23 others from other administration parties, are backing the reported bid of Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia for De Venecia’s post.

Garcia has told reporters he is not interested in the post.

Sources said two of Villafuerte’s supporters are eyeing the committee on accounts, which oversees the House expenditures, and the committee on banks and financial intermediaries.

The appropriations panel, chaired by Rolando Andaya and later Joey Salceda in the 13th Congress, is where the proposed general appropriations act or the annual national budget is scrutinized per agency and department.

This committee has the power to hold the passage of the budget, putting at every member’s mercy the heads of each department and its line agencies.

Consequently, a department secretary would try to do almost everything to appease a disgruntled panel member just to see his budget approved. It may even get to the point that jobs and projects are laid on the bargaining table.

More often than not, a congressman’s concern is to get more congressional allocations of what they call “insertions” in substantial departments like the public works, which will give him more leeway in identifying the district projects to be funded by his priority development assistance fund or pork barrel.

Congressmen also use committees as leverage – through what they call “investigations in aid of legislation” – to get favors from other officials, public or private.

The assignment to these committees lies in the hands of the Speaker and the majority coalition.

In De Venecia’s case, various committees have been established and positions of vice chairmen created in his efforts to accommodate majority members whose support he needs to assure that he continues his grip on the House leadership. – Wendell Vigilia

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26 Comments

  1. Text from Parañaque representative (Ind) Roilo Golez:

    I join the concern of many that the announcement of Congressman Villafuerte that Kampi would challenge the leadership of Soeaker Jose de Venecia in the 14th Congress may be a diabolical plot for his group to wrest the position of House minority leader and thus subvert that position into a company union position.

    I laud JDV in his statement that that position and other minority positions in the House in the 14th Congress should go to the legitimate opposition opposition.

    I hope and pray that fears about such a diabolical plot are what without basis.

    Congressman Villafuerte should immediately deny that no such plot exists and that the reported Lakas-Kampi squabble for speakership should be settled in a majority caucus and not in the session hall.

  2. Who is Roilo Golez kidding here. A statement from Villafuerte now would fall on deaf ears. No one will believe him, the issue is already on the table.

    With the smokescreen of “Chamber Change” being floated around, let’s focus on the fact that the key goal of this administration is still “Charter Change”…

  3. I am not surprised with this ‘diabolical plot’ because it is congruent to the frame of mind exhibited by an evil fake cheater/liar/thief and the subservient company of hungry “buayas” beside the stinking river. (My apologies to the more honorable Philippine species of crocs).

  4. rose rose

    Powerful talaga ang Chairmanship ng Appropriations Committee. Si Tobias Fornier noon ay naging Chairman at malaki ang pag-unlad ng Antique. Hindi ka pa ata ipinanganak noon Ellen!. Hindi naging millionaryo si Fornier- ang mga kalye ay asphaltado o cementado- at tahimik ang buhay-walang beer gardens,walang patayan, walang pollution at malinis ang Nogas Island- Life was beautiful.

  5. myrna myrna

    kung si gahaman villafuerte ang sa appropriations committee, patay na. hindi naman mapupunta sa infrastructure o anumang services ang pera ng bayan. sigurado sa bulsa niya, pati na sa mga alipores niya. eh kung yung isa nga niyang “flower” ang ganda ng bahay sa naga, ipinatayo niya. courtesy siempre ng pera ni juan dela cruz. pero ang nakakadiri pa, pinagmamalaki pa nung babae, na may asawa naman. hay, yan ang isa sa mga issues na dapat linisin ni villafuerte bago siya bigyan ng karapatan para maging chairman sa appropriations committee.

    o baka i-capital pa sa jueteng yan!

  6. Basta ako ayoko si JdV. There should be a revamp in the structure of the Philippine Congress. Hindi na puede ang mga committees, etc. instituionalized by JdV so that the “could gain of the Philippine Congress” that should not have been allowed in the first place because it gave him and his cahoots a free hand to corrupt the system and everyone. Dapat hindi na iyan naboto! Pihado nandaya din iyan sa Pangasinan.

  7. chi chi

    Sige lang kayong mga kampon ni Blinky Tianak, pagbutihin ninyo ang awayan sa Tongress kasi magi-disappear na rin naman ang inyong reyna kaya malapit na rin kayong umiskierda lahat.

  8. xanadu xanadu

    What’s this I read that JDV is being haunted by a modern-day Brutus in the speakership’s race. It could be recalled that at the height of his reign as Roman emperor, Julius Caesar was killed by a group of Roman legislators in a sordid climax to a “power play.”

    Parang kahawig ang eksena sa naglalabasang intriga at power play mula sa pinalalakas na kampo ng Kampi at sa nanghihinang grupo ng Lakas. Hindi malayong mangyari rito ang saksakan sa likod dahilan sa pagaagawan sa pwesto ng mga miembro ng Bastusang Pambansa na ngayon pa lamang ay iniuumang na ang pamamaraan kung paano hindi na maaalis sa trono ang kanilang reyna-reynahan.

  9. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    The crocodiles and vultures are feasting the spoils of war. Elections are over and we expect the national treasury is bankrupt. I doubt if the P10 billion rehabilitation and calamity fund is given to real recipients. The release of funds during election period probably went to Team Unity campaign kitty. Gloria Arroyo and her cohorts plundered the national treasury in 2004 presidential election. The ongoing move to change the leadership in the Lower House by Kampi Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia is a Moro-Moro stage. Its main intention is to prevent or discourages real opposition coalition party to emerge. Kampi have 40 elected members and needs other political parties to form a coalition to challenge Lakas Party. Kampi may end up as a company union. Tayo-tayo system is undemocratic. Under House rules, the candidate to get the second highest vote in the Speakership race automatically becomes the Minority Floor Leader. Lakas and Kampi support the Arroyo administration. Paranaque City, 2nd District, Rep. Roilo Golez belongs to Kampi based on list of House of Representatives winners.

  10. Xanadu,

    Sobrang dramatic ang comparison mo. Wala sa kalingkingan ni Julius Ceasar si JdV. Si Julius Ceasar hindi kailangang humalik sa puwit ng kahit sino. Itong si JdV, parang tsimoy ni Unano, gagawin kahit magpauto basta huwag lang matanggal.

    Pero kung masaksak siya, buti nga sa kaniya! Siya iyong Brute sa totoo lang. I hate this guy kasi iyong kriminal pinugayan para lang sa kaniyang kapakanan. O di nabuwisit tuloy iyong Migrant Act na ipinugay doon sa isang kriminal na nakalimutan ng mga pilipino na isa sa kaniyang biktima ay kapwa niya pilipino rin.

    Namintang pang may injustice. Sa Singapore pa? Kung nangyari pa iyong sa Pilipinas, maniniwala ako.

  11. zen2 zen2

    yuko,

    napapansin ko ang appropriations committee umiikot lamang sa mga Bikolano, ah.

    Andaya, Salceda, at ngayon balak na naman ni Buwitrefuerte? talaga nga naman, mga tulisan talaga. ano kaya kung ang counterpart niya sa Senado (finance) ay si Sonny Trillanes, na Bikolano din?

    sa ibang usapin, kung si Cebuanong Pabling Garcia ang maging Ispiker ng House of Thieves, mas maging mahirap imbestigahan ang GSIS, na ang Tserman naman ay ang anak na si Winston Garcia. at baka sa sunod na eleksyon, 100% na ang voters turnout ng Cebu !!

    palagay ko, istrokis at maniobrang politikal lang yun ni Buwitre para himasin si JdV at mapilitang ibigay sa kanya ang Komiteng minimithi.

    hahayyyy, pare-parehong bangkarote’t bulok.

    i-outsource na lang kaya sa Gawad Kalinga ang Komiteng ito ?

  12. Roy Golez says “I laud JDV in his statement that that position and other minority positions in the House in the 14th Congress should go to the legitimate opposition opposition.”

    Oh yeah? Heheh! Wonder why JdV is saying that today?

  13. purple purple

    Jdv is demented nothing more…he is looking for someone to take pity on him.

  14. BOB BOB

    Iyang si Luis Villafuerto….Magnanakaw yan at oportunista…Nuong panahon ni Marcos , nagsipsip yan kay marcos kaya nasa inner circle iyan, malaki rin ang nanakaw niya sa kaban ng bayan tapos nuong nakita niya na tagilid na si Marcos, naguumpisa na siyang mag-sipsip kay Cory at pumapanig na siya laban kay marcos…Napuwesto rin siya nuong panahon ni Cory, at malaki rin ang ninakaw niya sa kaban…Ganoon din ang ginawa niya nuong alam niya na si Ramos ang susunod , at nag-sipsip din siya kay Estrada, ngayon kay Glueria na siya….
    Bilib ako sa taong yan, laging naka-pwesto kung sino ang nakaupo…..Kung di ka pa kamukha no Cocoy Dacuycoy lalu ka na ! MAGNANAKAW ka hayup ka…masamid ka sana, sabay stoke !

  15. BOB BOB

    correction : Kung di ka pa kamukha ni Popoy Dacuycoy not cocoy….

  16. TonGuE-tWisTeD TonGuE-tWisTeD

    Kung noong araw bilib ako sa tapang ng mga Bikolano dahil lagi silang kontra sa administrasyon, ngayon nandidiri ako sa probinsiya ng nanay ko.

    Kundi lang sa mga taga-Sorsogon na sila Escudero at Honasan, pati na si Trillanes at Liwayway Vinzons-Chato (pinakabagong Congresswoman ng Camarines Norte) nangangamoy-babuyan na ang Bicol. Kundi ba naman mga pulpol, iboto ba naman yung Kapampangan para Congressman nila?

    Kasalanan daw iyan ng mga lolo ko. Kung noong pinatay raw nilang mga gerilya ang buong pamilya ni Villafuerte ay isinama na nila ang batang si Louie, wala sana iyang salot na iyan ngayon. Kung bakit kasi ipinatago pa sa mga madre iyan. Talaga sigurong ganyan ang lumaki nang walang magulang, bastos!

  17. cocoy cocoy

    Bob;
    Thanks for your correction.

  18. BOB BOB

    TT,
    Siguro kilala mo iyong dating komedyante si Popoy Dacuycoy..Kung kilala mo ..o di ba ..mapapagkamalan mong kakambal ni Luis Villafuerte… magka-mukha sila ! (pasintabi na po kay Popoy..)

  19. cocoy cocoy

    TT;
    Ang buhay ng tao kahit saan ka man mapunta ay parang komiks lang iyan,kung lahat ay bida at walang kontra-bida hindi makahulugan at walang happy ending ang zarsuela.

  20. TonGuE-tWisTeD TonGuE-tWisTeD

    BOB,
    Kilala ko si Popoy Dacuycoy, yung Dakilang Atsoy. Hawig nga, kaya lang itong si Villafuerte sobrang napaglumaan na ng panahon. Hanggang ngayon naka-Tancho Tic pa! Nyeeh!

    Cocoy,
    Hindi na ako naniniwala sa komiks. Sa totoong buhay, nauna pang mamatay si Panday kesa sa masasamang taong nilabanan niya. Okey na sana sa simula, inapi, niloko, dinaya. Kaso, natalo na namatay pa! Mahirap arukin ang gustong tumbukin ng yumari ng skrip!

  21. TonGuE-tWisTeD TonGuE-tWisTeD

    Squabbling over spoils? Wala silang dapat pag-agawan. Dahil naubos na. Laking sisi siguro ni Pandak dahil sinunod niya si “Bukbok” Salceda sa prepayment ng IMF loans.

    Pasiklab lang kasi iyon, wala namang idinulot na mabuti, pinagtatawanan tuloy siya sa financial community. Oh yes, pabayaan ninyo siyang maglaway tungkol sa “economic gains” na ipinagsisigawan niya.

    Akala kasi ni Pandak pag nagbayad siya ng maaga, maiimpress niya yung agencies na nagre-rate ng sovereign debt. So far, wala pa siyang tinatamaan kahit isa. Sa Standard & Poors, BBB- pa rin, ibig sabihin, four notches below investment grade. Sa simpleng Tagalog, walang kwenta. Kaya naman walang bumibili ng bonds dahil walang magandang kita. Ibig ring sabihin, hindi bababa ang interest rate ng foreign debt.

    Then the other day, it was Moody’s turn. Still no upgrade there either. Bagsak kasi ang revenues dahil sa bagsak ang koleksiyon ng BIR at Customs. Dahil ba sa smuggling o dahil ibinulsa? O pareho? Isa lang daw ang solusyon, magdagdag ng bagong buwis! Nalintikan na naman. Sigurado akong triple whammy na naman ito pag labas ng rating ng Fitch. Nakakahiya, pero para lang may masabing may naniniwala daw, yung Calpers (pension fund ng California) na lang ang pinagtitiyagaan lagi. Ni hindi nga tayo pinagaaksayahan ng panahon na i-rate ng Morgan-Stanley o Goldman-Sachs, e, nakakahiya na araw-araw isinisigaw ni Tiyanak ang progreso kahit sa New Zealand, Japan, Australia, kung saan hindi tanga ang mga tao, nanliliit ako sa mga pinagsasabi ng Doña Demonya.

    Kahit pa tumaas ang GNP ng 6.9% at mayabang tayong nagbayad ng utang ng maaga hindi natin mapapaniwala ang mga foreign lenders na sustainable ito kahit limang taon lang. Nasayang ang maagang pagbayad dahil ang malakas na piso sana ay mas maraming mabibiling makinarya at infrastructure inputs.

    Pero nasayang ang pagkakataon dahil ibinayad lang sa utang.

    Lalo lang tuloy nabukong ginagatasan lang nila ang pondo ng bayan dahil sa kabila nang lakas kuno ng kalakalan at padalang pera ng OFWs, wala namang naitatabing pera, o ginagastos sana sa imprastraktura par magbigay hanapbuhay sa marami, magpagulong ng kalakal, at isaayos ang mga public works. Kung tuluyang pipiliting ibalanse ang budget sa taong ito, mabublok lahat ng tulay at kalsada sa Pilipinas.

    Iyan ba ang kaunlarang iniyayabang ni Bansot? Totoo bang meron siyang Doctorate in Economics?

    O dinodoktor lang ang economics?

  22. cocoy cocoy

    Gloria’s doctorate in economics is an oxymoron, it is a contradiction in term without feasible solutions.
    None in her circle of economic spin geniuses wrestle the simple formula which is;

    (The only way to reconcile the economic objective with the environmental constrain is to keep total economic activity within tolerable environmental limits. That is, decide first how large a pie the environment can tolerate. Then decide how big the individual slices (the standard of living) should be. Then divide the pie by the size of each slice. The results is the number of slices(the population) the system can support.)

    In short no concrete planning for individual needs, only self interest. Kaya kawawa na naman ang nagugutom na masa.

  23. TT: O dinodoktor lang ang economics?

    *****
    E ano pa nga ba? Dito nga kung walang kasamang pala brigade ang ungas hindi mapapalakpakan sa mga kabulastugang sinasabi niya. Napapakamot na nga lang ang mga kausap na hapon kasi kung talagang improved economy ang Pilipinas, nagtataka sila kung bakit nangungutang pa rin. Kaya iyong takot nang pautangin siyang opisyal, ibinigay siya doon sa mga private sectors. Di nakauwi siya ng ipinagmalaki niyang 1B (peso ba o yen?) promissory note.

    Thanks, TT, for the very informative explanation dito sa mga kabulastugang pinaggagawa ni Pandak na wala namang palang sinabi!

  24. Zen2

    Kahit bikolano ang pinanggalingan ni Trillanes, Metro Manila Boy iyan. Parang katulad namin na kahit na Ilocano ang nanay namin ng mga kapatid ko, sa Manila kami ipinanganak at lumaki kaya no feeling kaming Ilocano kami! Hopefully, iba si Sonny.

  25. Chabeli Chabeli

    Wasn’t this thug, Luis Villafuerte, a Marcos-crony & a die-hard KBL member ?

  26. ateneo_blogger ateneo_blogger

    luis villafuerte is an outcast in the witch’s circle probably cos he aint as attractive as the rest of gma’s boys. hehe! the woman is in rome to visit to pope. wow. she loves to travel for free bragging of her economic gains.

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