RECORDS from the House of Representatives showed no one opposed the expulsion of Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. but former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez claimed he voted against it for several reasons.
The House, in a session on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, agreed to adopt the recommendation of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges to expel Teves, who is being accused as the mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo in March.
The committee cited Teves’ continued pursuit of political asylum, his continued unauthorized absence, and his “indecent behavior” as shown in a video of him dancing, wearing only his undergarments as reasons for the expulsion, which is the maximum penalty for a member of the House.
But Alvarez, in an interview with CNN’s The Source, said those are not grave reasons to expel a member of the House.
In a letter addressed to House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe on Thursday, August 17, Alvarez stated that he is saying “no” on the adoption of the committee report in relation to Teves’ expulsion.
“It is the position of the undersigned that said negative vote be reflected in the records of the House of Representatives,” he wrote.
Alvarez said he was not around when the session was held Wednesday, as he was in his district in Davao del Norte. He is serving as Davao del Norte’s First District representative.
Records from the House noted no negative vote, while the three-member Makabayan bloc -- Representatives Arlene Brosas of the Gabriela party-list group, France Castro of the ACT Teachers party-list group, and Raoul Manuel of the Kabataan partylist group -- abstained from voting. It stated 265 yeses, but 43 other lawmakers who were present did not cast a vote.
Alvarez said expelling a member of the House is a very harsh penalty, and “it rocks the very foundation of a republican and democratic form of government.”
“Mawawalan ng representation yung mga tao sa district ni Teves (The people in Teves’ district will be deprived of representation),” he told The Source.
He added that even if House Speaker Martin Romualdez has been appointed caretaker of third congressional district of Negros Oriental, it does not mean that the people there want him to be their representative, as they have not voted for him.
He also said that holding special elections to find a new congressman is impossible, as there is no budget for it.
“I don't think those are grave reasons or basis for removing a member of the House. Karapatan din nya yun eh (It’s his right). That's in the Constitution, so bakit tayo magagalit (so why should we be angry)? Bakit natin gawing negative yun against Teves?” Alvarez said, referring to Teves’ “indecent behavior” as cited by the House committee.
Alvarez clarified that he is not saying no to expulsion because of Teves, but on behalf of all members of the House.
“I'm doing this in behalf of all other members of the House now and in the future. This precedent is very dangerous. How about let's say if the leadership wants to fire you, they will invent reasons and say that it is grave to expel a member,” he said in a mix of Tagalog and English.
He stressed that Teves has all the right to post on social media and seek asylum.
Teves had filed an application for political asylum in Timor-Leste twice and it is still currently under appeal.
Alvarez also does not see Teves’ seeking an asylum as abandonment of his constituents. “Di naman siguro sapat yun dahil karapatan din nyang mag seek ng asylum.”
He said the House of Representatives should then define what qualifies as grave reason to expel a member.
Teves’ expulsion is the first in the history of the House of Representatives. It came after the House, also through the recommendation of the ethics committee, handed him down two 60-day suspensions for his continued refusal to follow the order of Romualdez to return to the country and physically attend to his work.
Teves, aside from his alleged involvement in Degamo’s murder, has also been accused of masterminding several killings and illegal activities in Negros Oriental over the past years. (LMY)