Lawmakers were unable to oppose or question the motion to reject House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s resignation offer during the September 30 session because they were muted on the videoconferencing app Zoom, Politiko has learned.
A video obtained by Politiko showed Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. trying to raise a point of order regarding the motion of Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor at the plenary to reject Cayetano’s resignation offer.
Teves, who was inside his car at the time, can be seen in the video repeatedly pressing the unmute button on Zoom. However, a pop up screen just showed up with the message, “The host is not allowing participants to unmute themselves.”
A frustrated Teves muttered, “Point of order, Mr. Chairman. Why are you not allowing us? Why are you muting us?” as the presiding officer for the session, Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu, said the motion to reject Cayetano’s resignation offer won with the “ayes” louder than “nayes.”
Teves again tried to unmute himself when it was decided at the plenary that Cayetano’s resignation offer will be subjected to nominal voting.
“Point of order Mr. Chairman,” he said, as the same pop up screen appeared.
Teves then brought out another phone and called someone. He said to the person on the other end of the line, “Tell them I am raising a point of order and they are muting me! A point of order is a priority motion! Can you call the Sec Gen to call me? Because this is bullsh*t! I am raising a point of order and I am muted.”
According to the House of Representatives’ rules for the 18th Congress, a motion to raise a point of order is the most important motion that should be entertained when a question is raised before the plenary, second only to the motion to adjourn.
Cayetano’s offer to resign was rejected by 184 lawmakers in the nominal voting. He made the offer, which was nowhere to be found in the House rules, a day after speaking with President Rodrigo Duterte and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco in Malacanang about the term sharing agreement on the speakership.
In a lengthy privilege speech before the voting, Cayetano lambasted Velasco for insisting on October 14 as the date for the speakership turnover instead of December, which Cayetano wanted so he and his allies can control the passage of the 2021 national budget.
Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)
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