Sunday, November 11, 2007 Kampi to take up ally’s admission on ‘cash gifts’
FIVE of eight Cebuano lawmakers are among those summoned to a meeting next week of the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), in which the party is expected to take up the reported distribution of cash to some congressmen last month.
“I would rather not make any comment, anyway that has been sufficiently discussed,” said Rep. Pablo Garcia (Cebu Province, 2nd district) last Friday night. “It does affect Kampi, that’s why there are plans to call a meeting maybe (this) week.”
The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, said Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu Province, 4th district), who added that the cash gifts will definitely be discussed.
Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, through her chief of staff Atty. Gonzalo Malig-on, confirmed she will attend the meeting but said she was unaware of the agenda, as she was in Bangkok last week for a conference.
Deputy Speaker Ma. Amelita Villarosa, also of Kampi, recently admitted to being the source of the cash gifts given to some congressmen during a breakfast meeting with President Arroyo last Oct. 11.
She described it as a party initiative, but added that the President was unaware of it.
But Salimbangon, in a phone interview with Sun.Star Cebu last night, said it wasn’t the party that initiated the alleged doleouts.
“Nganong dili man sad tanan gitagaan? (And why wasn’t everyone given?),” Salimbangon joked, saying he did not receive any cash gift.
When the reports first broke out last month, Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south district) was the first Cebuano legislator to admit having received the “Christmas gift.” But he later retracted the statement, saying it was a joke.
Gov. Emilio Macias III of Oriental Negros later admitted he received P200,000 from Malacañang after a League of Provinces meeting.
Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio was the first governor to confirm the distribution of money, and even showed reporters in a press conference the bundle of cash amounting to P500,000.
When asked for specifics of the Kampi meeting next week, Garcia said, “I don’t really know because I’m not an officer of Kampi...(but) I believe that this (alleged distribution of cash) would be one of the subjects to be taken up.”
Salimbangon added that Kampi members can also expect to take up speculations about rifts or factions within the party.
“There has been a lot of speculations that factions have formed within the party. So the purpose mainly is to work it out,” said the first-term congressman.
“As far as I’m concerned, these are all just intrigues,” he continued.
Apart from Garcia, Salimbangon and Soon-Ruiz, also listed as Kampi members from Cebu are Garcia’s son Pablo John and Eduardo Gullas.
The ABS-CBN News Channel has quoted Villarosa as saying she is ready to be investigated by the House ethics committee for her alleged distribution of the cash.
The cash gifts were distributed at the height of the third impeachment complaint against President Arroyo in three years, and just two weeks shy of the Oct. 29 barangay and youth elections.
Starting tomorrow, the impeachment case against the President will be examined by the House committee on justice.
House Speaker Jose de Venecia has inhibited himself from handling the case, amid a perceived rift with the President. His son Jose de Venecia III had accused First Gentleman Mike Arroyo of telling him to back off from the national broadband deal.
When asked if de Venecia still has credibility, after reports that administration congressmen are planning to oust him from the speakership, former governor Garcia just laughed.
“I think the media would be in a much better position because you are the purveyors and conveyors of news and you are closer to the consumers,” he said.
Garcia was the closest contender for the speakership against de Venecia last July.
Salimbangon, for his part, denied there are plans afoot to oust de Venecia. “Wala. As far as the coalition is concerned, that has never been discussed,” said Salimbangon. (JGA)
