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By Sammy Martin, Reporter
A squabble between the two biggest political
parties in the country flared up during a closed-door meeting at the
House of Representatives when Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas resigned from
the powerful Commission on Appointments.
Gullas quit upon learning from his staff that he
had been replaced as head of the House contingent to the
appointments commission. The post had been vacated by Rep. Prospero
Nograles, who was elected Speaker to replace Rep. Jose de Venecia
Jr. of Pangasinan.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte is being
groomed to replace Gullas. The head of the House contingent
automatically becomes the vice chairman of the commission.
Sources told The Manila Times that Gullas
hurriedly went to an office in the House of Representatives armed
with his resignation letter, The letter supposedly states that he
was resigning not only as head of the House contingent but also as a
member of the appointments commission.
The sources declined to identify the office.
Getting wind of Gullas’ move, members of the
commission rushed to the office and tried to calm down the
congressman who was allegedly talking at the top of his voice.
The sources said Lakas members managed to pacify
the fuming Gullas, who, they added, looked pale.
Members of the House contingent are
Representatives Rodolfo Albano 3rd, Rodolfo Plaza, Eduardo Zialcita,
Carlos Lacson, Conrado Estrella 3rd, Abdullah Dimaporo, Jose Yap,
Eileen Ermita Buhain, Emilou Taliño Mendoza and Joel Villanueva,
the lone opposition representative.
A member of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD)
in the appointments commission, The Times sources said, tore the
resignation paper of Gullas and assured him that he will stay as the
head of the House contingent and that they will not allow him to be
replaced.
Gullas said anybody can take his place but not
Villafuerte, whom he classifies as a junior member of the
contingent.
Villafuerte, the president of Kabalikat ng
Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), had refused to show up in meetings whose
agenda is the merger of Lakas and Kampi. Lakas is the ruling
coalition, of which Kampi is a member. President Gloria Arroyo
founded Kampi.
Earlier Tuesday at the session hall, Albano
approached Villafuerte, congratulating him, suggesting that members
of the contingent are making moves to endorse him as Gullas’
replacement. Villafuerte thanked Albano for the compliments.
Villafuerte told The Times during a previous
interview that the planned merger of Kampi and Lakas headed by
Nograles will not materialize because of infighting among members of
both parties in the local level.
He and Gullas failed to attend yesterday’s
plenary.
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