A House in shambles

- Advertisement -

RIGHT after 1.5 million Filipinos trooped to the Luneta-Cultural Center of the Philippines area to express their displeasure over how things are being run by the Marcos administration, a rally initiated and sponsored by religious congregation of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), the House of Representatives dropped like a very hot potato its chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Rep. Elizaldy Co of the Ako Bicol party-list.  The motion to declare vacant his position (read: to fire him) was even filed by the President’s son, Rep. Sandro Marcos of Ilocos Norte, and was immediately approved by his uncle, House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

The speed by which Co was unceremoniously dismissed by his closed colleagues has been matched only by the speedy approval by the House of the National Appropriations Bill of 2025, which his committee processed, approved, and sponsored in plenary.

‘This propensity to appease the masses and diffuse the people’s ire might work on a temporary basis for the Marcos Jr. administration, but it will only patch up the leak.’

It was as if all the collective flaws of this year’s national budget were blamed by the congressmen on Zaldy Co, and thus he had to go.  Even this dismissal had not been bereft with controversy, as the party-list representative claimed health reasons for his leaving.  In his view as confirmed by his statement, Co has resigned the committee chairmanship.  But it was Marcos’ motion that officially fired him.

- Advertisement -

Co said in a statement that his “decision, made with a heavy heart, is driven by pressing health concerns.  The highly demanding nature of my role has taken its toll, and I now need to prioritize seeking the medical attention necessary for my well-being.”

For those who are not familiar with Elizaldy Co, he is one of the congressmen closest to the Speaker, having been given the enviable position of head of the appropriations committee.  Congressmen are trying to outdo each other in various acts of propitiation to gain Co’s favor.  And for what?  To get a huge chunk of the pie that is the national budget, because there is where the money to be made is.  The funds and the commissions are for themselves, and they even have the temerity to use their constituencies as alibi to get their millions of pesos in allocation.

It is a small wonder that Vice President Sara Duterte said that the country’s finances are handled only by two individuals — Zaldy Co and Speaker Martin Romualdez.  That is how powerful Co is in the mind of the Vice President.  But all those powers are now gone, with his dismissal from the appropriations committee.

It appears that in this administration, whenever there is a great boo-boo and they need somebody to take the blame, convenience dictates that a visible middle-level official’s head must roll.  Remember the problem of Alice Guo, the mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, who proved that with a lot of money and influence with the authorities, one can cross the borders and flee from the long arm of the law?  Well, they had to fire Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco for this.  Now, it’s Zaldy Co’s turn to take on the role of scapegoat.

This propensity to appease the masses and diffuse the people’s ire might work on a temporary basis for the Marcos Jr. administration, but it will only patch up the leak.

The collaboration between the Executive and the Legislative departments, which includes the Senate, results in budget laws that are full of gaping holes and constitutional infirmities. The separation of powers that is enshrined in the Constitution should be reinstalled and respected.

Author

- Advertisement -
Previous article
Next article

Share post: