Metro Manila, Philippines – Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice has blamed House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos for his replacement as senior deputy minority leader, supposedly over his criticism of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima, Erice’s colleague in the Liberal Party, assumed the role on Tuesday, March 3, without explanation in the plenary.
On that day, Erice had strong remarks against an anti-political dynasty bill that consolidated dozens of proposals and was considered the working draft at the committee.
He said the bill was an insult to the essence of the constitutional provision against families occupying elective posts at the same time, arguing it would promote “obese” political dynasties.
The president has endorsed a law that will carry out the policy. The House working draft consolidated 25 bills and essentially reflected that filed by Speaker Bojie Dy and the president’s son. The prohibition is only until the second degree of consanguinity or affinity.
“Bola lahat, bola noon, bola bola Marcos [All sweet talk, empty promises even before, all bluff from Marcos],” Erice said during the committee hearing, before withdrawing his co-authorship of the bill.
Blame Sandro Marcos
In a privilege speech on Wednesday, March 4, Erice attacked the younger Marcos.
The veteran lawmaker said that after his strong remarks, he was fetched by Minority Leader Nonoy Libanan and brought to the office of Marcos. Dy was also in the room.
Erice said: “Sinita ako ni Congressman Marcos at tinanong, ‘Ano ‘yon?’ I replied that the anti-political dynasty has long been one of my advocacies. Ngunit sinabi niya, ‘Hindi ‘yon, inaatake mo ang aking ama.’”
[Translation: Congressman Marcos called me out and asked me, “What was that?” I replied that the anti-political dynasty has long been one of my advocacies. But he said, “Not that, you attacked my father.”]
Erice said Libanan’s hands “were tied” in the decision to oust him, adding that Rep. Marcos had supposedly been complaining to the minority leader about Erice’s tirades against the administration.
“It appears that this House leadership does not welcome criticisms and that Mr. Speaker is the real problem of dynastic politics,” he said during his speech.
“When the president of the republic has a son serving as majority leader of this house, there’s an unavoidable conflict of interest when a son becomes overly protective of his father instead of protecting the integrity of legislation,” he said.
The Caloocan lawmaker said his criticisms, which included national budget issues and the flood control mess, have been “well-meaning” and for the “interest of accountability.”
He added that a Cabinet official previously told him that Malacañang even viewed him as a supporter of Vice President Sara Duterte.
There is no response so far from Rep. Marcos to Erice’s comments, but Deputy Speaker Janette Garin rejected accusations of the majority’s meddling.
“I have to stand up because as a member of the majority, and even if the majority leader is being directed to, walang kinalaman at hindi parte ng mayorya ang affairs ng election of officers of the minority,” Garin said.
[Translation: I have to stand up because, as a member of the majority, and even if the majority leader is being directed to, the majority has nothing to do and is not part of the affairs of the election of officers of the minority.]
Malacañang also slammed Erice.
“Ang nakakapagtaka dito kay Congressman Erice, parang lahat na lang ng kasalanan sa mundo isinisisi niya sa pangulo,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a briefing on Thursday. “Trabaho nilang gumawa ng batas kaya trabahuhin niya po iyan kung anong gusto niyang version.”
[Translation: What’s strange with Congressman Erice is that he seems to blame the president for all the world’s problems. It’s their job to craft laws, so he should work on the version that he wants.]
Replacement planned, no pressure
De Lima told reporters on Wednesday that she had received a heads-up on Tuesday morning that Libanan would make a motion at the plenary session to replace Erice as senior deputy minority leader.
But she also said at the plenary that she understood Erice, adding that she joins him in questioning the committee process in the anti-political dynasty bill.
At the plenary on Thursday, Libanan said that he had told Erice about the change before the committee hearing began, and said, “I think you see this coming.”
“Ibig sabihin, nahihirapan na akong magampanan ng aking alter ego ang mga tungkulin dito sa plenaryo,” Libanan said in a manifestation.
“Hindi pinalitan ang senior deputy minority leader dahil may pressure sa taas. Ito ay saganang trabaho ng minority bloc ng Kongreso,” he said.
[Translation: This means that my alter ego is having difficulty fulfilling the duties here in the plenary. The senior deputy minority leader was not replaced because there was pressure from above. This is purely the work of the minority bloc in the House.]
Libanan said the requirement of legislation is the opportunity for talks amid disagreements.
“Kung dumarating na ang punto na di na makausap ng majority ang minority, medyo nasa peligrong kalagayan ang ating bansa kasi hindi na natin ma-fine-tune ang ating mga batas,” he said.
[Translation: If it comes to a point that the majority can no longer talk with the minority, the country will be in a dangerous situation because our laws will not be fine-tuned.]
Erice said he does not harbor bitterness in the change, and was honored to be replaced by a “far stronger fighter for truth and justice.”
“We shall continue to fiscalize, scrutinize, provide checks and balances, call out the mistakes and excesses of the administration, but we are not and will not be obstructionists,” De Lima said.
