THE House of Representatives on Wednesday night stripped Rep. Rodante Marcoleta (PL, Sagip) of membership in five juicy committees after defending Vice President Sara Duterte during committee hearings on her alleged misuse of confidential funds.

Before the House adjourned session, Iloilo City Rep. Jam Baronda, a deputy majority leader, moved to nominate Manila Teachers party-list Rep. Virginia Lacson as a member of the Commission on Appointments, and the committees on energy, justice, public accounts, and constitutional amendments “vice Rep. Rodante Marcoleta.”

The House leadership does not explain whenever such motions are raised in the plenary.

Marcoleta has earlier been removed as vice chairman of the House committee on good government and public accountability, which is now chaired by Manila Rep. Joel Chua who is leading investigations into Duterte’s use of confidential funds, particularly the P73 million disallowed by the Commission on Audit, for fiscal year 2023.

Marcoleta even moved for the termination of the Chua panel’s hearing last week in the presence of the Vice President, who was also defended by another ally, former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The P73 million disallowed by COA, which is part of the P125-million confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2022, was followed by an additional P164 million under the OVP’s secret funds for 2023, which was also flagged by the audit body. Also flagged by COA in audit observation memorandums was P164 million which is part of the P500-million confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) of the OVP for 2023.

The COA has so far questioned the use of P237 million in confidential funds under Vice President Sara Duterte who is being criticized by administration lawmakers for refusing to answer their questions during the budget hearings and the subsequent hearing called by the House committee on good government and public accountability.

Also on Wednesday night, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez led the House in welcoming Percival Cendaña of the Akbayan Citizens Action Party as its newest member.

Cendaña was sworn in by the Speaker a day after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed Akbayan as  winner in the 2022 party-list race, awarding the party a seat in the House.

Cendaña was accompanied by family members and former colleagues, including former Rep. Loreta “Etta” Rosales, former chairperson of Akbayan and the Commission on Human Rights.

As stipulated in Section 7, Article 6 of the Philippine Constitution, Cendaña will serve in the House of Representatives until June 30, 2025.

Cendaña served as a commissioner of the National Youth Commission from 2011 to 2016 and was president of Babaylanes Inc., a prominent NGO at the University of the Philippines.

His leadership experience also includes serving as the Student Council chairperson at UP Diliman in 1997 and as chief of staff for former Akbayan Rep. Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao, who later became the governor of Dinagat Islands.