Seares: 3 Cebuano legislators on stage: Del Mar, Abellanosa, Frasco

IN a Tribune.net story, Cebu 5th District Congressman Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco Wednesday (March 4, 2020) reportedly “apologized” to his colleagues Reps. Raul del Mar and Bebot Abellanosa who complained in separate privilege speeches about Frasco’s earlier claim that the Visayas bloc supported House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s stand on the ABS-CBN controversy.

Cayetano wanted to delay action (“now is not the time”) on the renewal of the network’s franchise. Frasco said the Visayas lawmakers as a group backed the decision. Del Mar and Abellanosa stood on the House floor to say the Visayas bloc did not.

‘Hand of peace’

The first-term congressman said he offered “a hand of peace” to veteran lawmakers del Mar and Abellanosa.

In the same statement to Tribune.net, Frasco stuck to his claim about the Visayas bloc’s united stand and his statement as “based on truth and fact.”

Frasco did not offer details or some proof to show that the 48-person alliance of legislators from the Visayas did meet and did agree collectively to support Cayetano. Del Mar and Abellanosa said there was no common stand and each Visayas bloc member was allowed to express his or her view on the issue.

The press statement

A check on the stories of “Manila Bulletin” of Feb. 29 and the “Manila Standard” of March 2 showed it was a prepared statement -- probably even a press release (because they were identical in many parts) -- attributed to Frasco.

In the said releases, he didn’t say the Visayas bloc met and agreed on a common stand. He just cited his being “chairman of the Visayas Development Committee” in the House and referred to the men and women from the Visayas bloc as he declared that the group was “solidly behind” the leadership of Cayetano and supported his decision to take its time in acting on the ABS-CBN franchise.

Apparently Franco believed that as chairman he could speak for all the Visayas legislators, “the 48-strong” bloc, a detail the stories mentioned up high in the lead.

Sorry, then slam

Frasco apologized to the two Cebu City congressmen and his “fellow Cebuanos.” At the same time, the Tribune reported, Frasco “slammed” the two lawmakers for (1) “putting forth their position, favoring the renewal” of ABS-CBN’s franchise and (2) “explicitly ‘lobbying’ before the chamber the merits” of extending the said franchise. In another story, in SunStar of March 5, Frasco called out del Mar and Abellanosa for “acting out of order,” a violation of House rules, he said, that bans the use of the privilege hour to lobby for the network’s bills.

Not only does Franco think he was speaking the truth about the Visayas’ bloc support for Cayetano, he believes his two Cebuano colleagues misbehaved in their privilege speeches and smeared his reputation.

Contrasting “facts”

Del Mar had filed a resolution for the extension of the franchise but only for the purpose of giving ABS-CBN a hearing, “its day in Congress.” The text of the resolution didn’t advocate for renewal of franchise.

It was not known what Abellanosa’s public advocacy on the issue was but he criticized on the floor Frasco’s “false” information. Did both lawmakers really go around in the chamber campaigning for ABS-CBN’s extension renewal? Maybe not, Frasco’s charge may be based solely on the privilege speeches they made.

Former Negros Occidental congressman Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, the Tribune also reported, earlier said the Visayan lawmakers “are in agreement that Congress should tackle the franchise bills.” Not true, said Frasco.

What was also the basis for Benitez’s claim? If the Visayas bloc had not met on the issue and no consensus was otherwise taken, Benitez was also just assuming or speculating. The difference with Frasco’s declaration is that the Cebu congressman believes he had authority to speak for the Visayas bloc.

The non-apology

Then there’s that “apology” that doesn’t sound and look like one.

Now it’s clear why Congressman Frasco apologized the way he did. He regretted the incident but did not acknowledge fault or wrongdoing. He must think he had the right to speak for the Visayas bloc even though it must be evident that the group is not “solid” behind anything but the welfare of the legislators’ respective districts and the region’s development. Could he speak about the group’s stand on the leadership turbulence in the House?

If veterans like del Mar and Abellanosa thought Frasco spoke out of turn, there must be no standing rules on the limits of the chairman’s authority to speak for the individual congressmen and their collective sentiment.

Cebuanos on stage

Why are the Cebu public and media as its surrogate interested in the incident? The lawmakers on the national stage, even if for some brief, cameo moments, are Bisaya, three of whom are Cebuanos.

It rarely happens nowadays. Voices of Cebu leaders are heard less and less by the rest of the nation.