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Monday, February 27, 2006
House Speaker hit for not helping arrested solon
THE chief of staff of arrested Anakpawis party-list Representative Crispin Beltran said Sunday House Speaker Jose de Venecia's refusal to give aid to Beltran should be condemned by all members of Congress.
Ina Alleco Silverio said de Venecia's silence and inaction on Beltran's arrest can be taken as a sign that he is agreeing to a crackdown on members of Congress who are boldly opposing the burgeoning "Macapagal-Arroyo dictatorship".
"Speaker de Venecia's silence and inaction on Beltran's arrest bids ill for the rest of the legislators of progressive party-lists Anakpawis, Bayan Muna and Gabriela Women's Party," she said.
"This is an unmistakable sign that worse things are up ahead. De Venecia is allowing the Philippine National Police (PNP) to arrest members of Congress and he is doing nothing to stop it. There is now apprehension that if Macapagal-Arroyo would declare Martial Law, de Venecia would probably uphold it and allow Congress to be dissolved, and lawmakers opposing Arroyo to be arrested," she said.
She added that the inaction of de Venecia was also because the two had a more-or-less amicable and friendly relationship since the party-list congressman entered Congress in 2001. "They (de Venecia and party-list congressmen) disagree on most issues and pieces of legislation especially those pertaining to the privatization of government assets and the liberalization of vital industries; but they are on good personal terms. It's most shocking that the Speaker is not doing anything to help free Beltran," she said.
Silverio said in Congress, de Venecia has been open to dialogues with the legislators of the progressive party-lists.
"The Speaker's silence on Ka Bel's arrest is an alarming sign. We hope that the Speaker will do everything in his power to help free Beltran, and to protect other members of Congress from political prosecution and illegal arrest. It is Speaker de Venecia's duty as head of Congress to speak up for its members," she said. (DBP/Sunnex)
(February 27, 2006 issue)
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