Kaya inunahan ni Duterte! Velasco stopped House probe on corrupt lawmakers

President Rodrigo Duterte named lawmakers who were allegedly involved in corruption because House Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco stopped a scheduled investigation on the matter, Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano revealed Friday (January 1).

Cayetano said Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor and Bulacan Rep. Jonathan Sy-Alvarado planned to hold public hearings on the supposed involvement of some of their colleagues in corruption but Velasco ordered that it be shelved.

Defensor used to chair the House public accounts committee while Sy-Alvarado previously headed the House committee on good government and public accountability. They were both replaced by Velasco for being Cayetano’s allies.

“So actually, bago naalis si Mike Defensor at si Jonathan Alvarado, ‘yan ay iimbestigahan na, pero ‘yung bagong liderato ng House pinigilan ‘yon, sinabi, ‘’Wag n’yo munang imbestigahan.’ So, nauna na ang Pangulo,” Cayetano told reporters.

“I expect more names to be named kasi there are a lot of names circulating. I’m just disappointed that naunahan pa ng Presidente,” he added.

Earlier this week, Duterte named eight lawmakers who were allegedly involved in corruption based on a list furnished by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC).

Cayetano said Duterte’s action was consistent with his style of taking matters into his own hands once an agency or entity failed to act on his “warning shot.”

“Sa private sector sa tubig, ilang beses s’yang nag-warning shot muna na, ‘Mali ‘yan.’ Eh hindi nagkusang i-surrender ‘yung kontrata at ayusin ‘yung concession, so binira n’ya,” the lawmaker said, recalling Duterte’s threat to file economic sabotage against water concessionaires for poor service.

Cayetano said Duterte’s naming of the lawmakers allegedly involved in corruption may be a result of his frustration.

“Delikado na ‘yung Executive Branch ang bumabanat sa Legislative kasi kailangan mo rin ng independent legislature, pero hindi mo naman pwedeng i-ignore ‘yung corruption lalo kung kuntsabahan ito between legislators ang the DPWH. That’s why we want to have an honest to goodness investigation. Ang problema nga, pinigilan,” the former Speaker said.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)