Mar seen moving to oust Belmonte
The Daily Tribune - Without Fear or Favor
Troubleshooter and Chief of Staff in waiting Manuel Roxas II has Speaker Sonny Belmonte’s ouster as his first project when he officially assumes his Malacañang post early next month, a House source said.
This could explain the mysterious delays in the release of the priority development assistance fund (PDAF) of some members of the House of Representatives.
A highly reliable source in the Lower Chamber yesterday told The Tribune the withholding of the congressmen’s PDAF is not incidental to the administration’s attempt to manage the budget deficit, but the very heart and soul of a grand design allegedly hatched by losing Liberal Party vice presidential bet, and now-to-be-appointed chief of staff of President Aquino, Mar Roxas.
The Tribune source, a member of the majority bloc in the House, alleged Roxas, through his cohorts in the Aquino administration, particularly Budget Secretary Butch Abad and Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, both
identified Roxas’ Balay Group, has been deliberately withholding the release of the PDAF for the solons to project Speaker Sonny Belmonte as a weak leader in the House of Representatives.
As lawmakers are measured by their constituents on the amount of projects they bring to their districts, a prolonged delay in the release of their PDAFs would force the lawmakers to “rise up in arms” against Belmonte.
With this tactic, Belmonte would either be forced to relinquish his post as Speaker or face ouster from his own colleagues, the Tribune source averred.
“Even if we are lawmakers, our constituents look up to us in terms of concrete projects we deliver to them. No matter the number of bills we craft and enact into laws, we are, to our constituents, still only as good as far the concrete projects we have delivered which they can actually see and feel,” said the Tribune source.
“When you return to your district, your constituents won’t ask you on the bills Congress is deliberating. They will ask you on the projects you have promised them: the roads, bridges, classrooms, hospital and hospital facilities, barangay halls and others. Some would even ask you for assistance for hospitalization, education and sometimes even for burial,” the source added.
“So, without your PDAF, what would you tell them?”
Accordingly, Roxas has long been at odds with Belmonte after the former lost heavily in Quezon City where the Speaker had a mayor for nine years. Aggravating the matters is the fact that Belmonte is said to identified with the Samar Group which is alleged to have supported Roxas’ chief rival, Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay.
The Tribune source added that the plot has long been executed with the first phase commencing on the impeachment case against then Chief Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas “Merci” Gutierrez.
According to the source, Aquino was becoming frustrated with Belmonte on his “weak” handling of the Merci impeachment case. This became more glaring after Belmonte announced he would let the members of the House decide on their own on the plenary vote on Merci impeachment case.
Sensing the opportunity, the Tribune source alleged Roxas quickly jumped on the gun and commissioned LP spokesperson, Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, whom the source said Roxas is eyeing to replace Belmonte, to disseminate text messages to House members threatening them that their PDAFs would be withheld if they vote against the Merci impeachment case. On the other hand, those who would vote in the affirmative would be given additional P20 million in pork, the text message further stated.
The Tribune source avers that the said text message was meant to send a strong signal to Belmonte that the Palace is becoming frustrated with him and that Abaya, a low-profile LP spokesperson, is now out to challenge him. like Abad and Purisima, abaya is also identified with the Balay Group.
While the text message was eventually denied by some House members, the rumors still persist today on its validity as those who voted against the Merci impeachment case claim they have yet to receive their PDAF.
And now, with Roxas set to assume his post as Aquino’s chief of staff anytime this week, the source claims the losing LP vice presidential candidate would take his Belmonte ouster campaign a notch higher.
“From what I’ve heard Sepaker Belmonte is to be removed from office before President Aquino delivers his state of the nation address (SONA) on July 25,” said the source. “I think it could be on the SONA day itself when we hold our session in the morning.”
“So, we expect Roxas to start calling us once he assumes his new position as chief of staff to gather our support in ousting (Speaker) Belmonte,” he added.
However, the Tribune source said that if there is anyone to blame on the delay in the release of the congressmen’s PDAF, it should be Aquino himself and not Roxas nor Belmonte.
“At the end of the day, it should e (President) Aquino who should be blamed for the failure of the government to deliver basic services to the people by delaying the release of our PDAF and not Roxas nor Belmonte because it is him (Aquino) who had given in to the whims of Roxas,” said the source.
“It’s his (Aquino) call and nobody else’s.”
Ranking members of the Liberal Party in the House of Representatives insisted Roxas will be a big addition to the Aquino government’s “straight path” program.
According to Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Roxas’ entry would perk up the economic efforts of the government.
“Mar Roxas would be a huge asset to the Aquino administration. With his vast experience in government as former cabinet secretary and former senator with expertise in the economy, he would be a welcome addition to the administration’s ‘straight path’ program,” Tupas said yesterday. Tupas is the chairman of the House committee on justice.
Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte has announced that Roxas is expected to assume his post as Presidential Chief of Staff in the first week of June shortly after President Aquino signs an administrative order restoring the defunct Office of the Presidential Chief of Staff.
The creation of the office, described by critics as a purely political accommodation for Roxas who gave way to Aquino’s presidential bid, is expected to ruin the post of Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa, a ranking source from a coalition partner said yesterday.
The same source said that Roxas, who has been “targeting” Ochoa’s post since the establishment of the Aquino government, could meddle into the executive secretary’s official task and “piss him off.”
“This could lead to the resignation of Ochoa,” the source said on condition of anonymity.
“Ochoa is not the type who would quarrel for his post,” the source said, adding that the former senator and current Liberal Party president has been flexing his muscles in the Aquino government.
The source said that Roxas even dabbles in public relations work for the president even as he cited the recent reunion concert of the Hotdogs where President Aquino was present with a new date.
“That concert was the handiwork of Roxas,” the source said.
Roxas and his close allies particularly the members of the so-called “Hyatt 10” have been at loggerheads with another group of Aquino allies – “Samar group” – which includes the so-called Pinoy lawyers led by Sen. Francis Escudero and former Quezon City Mayor and now House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and his bloc in the Liberal party.
Opposition stalwart Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay partly agrees with Tupas that Roxas could be an asset in the Aquino government and a burden at the same time.
Magsaysay said that Roxas also carries with him problem of partisan politics that could ruin the “good intentions” of the Aquino administration.
“Through wisdom he could carry, and even problem of partisan politics as well,” Magsaysay said.
She said that Roxas entry in government could also adversely affect the implementation of government policies.
“There might be a push and pull in government policies which may result in non-implementation of such policies to discredit the other camp,” Magsaysay said apparently referring to the “Samar group” who are also in government.
She said that President Aquino should reign in his people to let them tow the government line.
“Hope P-Noy has the guts to reign in his people to tow his line and not theirs,” she said.
Mar seen moving to oust Belmonte
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