BAGUIO Representative Mark Go is unfazed by suspicions his defiance to the administration’s stance on the death penalty will cost him committee memberships and funding blocks.
Go is part of a minority of 54 who stood their ground and voted no to the return of the death penalty in the country.
The lawmaker said he does not head any committee and is a mere member to the committees on educational and foreign affairs adding funding for projects in the city have already been included in the General Appropriations Act of the Congress making it safe for implementation.
Go is a member of the Nationalista Party and is part of the super majority in the House of Representatives.
“We maintain our good relations with the super majority but maintained our stand on the death penalty,” added Go.
Out of 7 Cordilleran representatives, only Ifugao representative Teddy Baguilat and Go voted against death penalty, shattering anew the perception of a Cordillera alliance in the lower house.
Baguilat debunked the regional alliance but maintained common goals are being discussed.
"We're still talking as a block when it comes to autonomy and the needs of our constituents," Baguilat added.
Go added there is no Cordillera alliance in congress, because they belong to different political parties and have their individual decisions but remain in good relations with one another.
Baguilat said the fear of a stumbling blocks in funding is always there.
"There's always that anxiety I guess. But I hope they don't punish the Ifugao people just because their Representative is doing his job as a legislator," added Baguilat.
Baguilat said he has been chairman of two important committees "so I'm fine with being in d minority and having no chairmanship this time and that doesn't prevent us from attending and participating in the committee hearings."
Go defended his stand saying “it is part of a conviction as well as the pulse of the people, we have learned (through a survey) that people are more interested in the certainty of the penalty rather than the gravity of it.”
The Baguio lawmaker said there was no pressure to sway his decision to reject the reimposition of death penalty.
Go said the revamp and reorganization of the justice and the penology system is foremost, rather than the imposition of death for the convicted.
The House of Representatives voted in third and final reading with 217 going for the measure with a lone representative abstaining.