Tahasang inihayag ni Caloocan City 2nd district Rep. Edgar “Egay” Erice ang kaniyang mga punto hinggil sa pagtatapos ng kaniyang liderato bilang House Senior Deputy Minority Leader.
Kaugnay ito sa manipestasyong ibinahagi ni 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan sa sesyon ng Kamara noong Martes, Marso 3, kung saan idineklara niya ang paghalili ni Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Atty. Leila De Lima kay Erice sa naturang posisyon.
MAKI-BALITA: Rep. De Lima, pumalit kay Rep. Erice bilang bagong House Senior Deputy Minority Leader-Balita
“Nagpapasalamat din po ako kay Minority Leader Nonoy Libanan. Alam ko po, na nakatali ang kaniyang mga kamay. Malaki na rin po ang kaniyang sakripisyo sapagkat madalas siyang tinatawagan ni Majority Leader Sandro Marcos dahil sa aking tuloy-tuloy na kritisismo sa mga polisiya ng administrasyong Marcos,” saad ni Erice sa kaniyang privilege speech, sa ginanap na sesyon ng Kamara noong Miyerkules, Marso 4.
Giit niya, “Policies, uulitin ko po, policies not personal attack.”
Naniniwala rin daw siya na nagawa niya nang mahusay ang kaniyang tungkulin bilang dating senior deputy minority leader.
“I believe that I have faithfully performed my duty as senior deputy minority leader. I have raised questions, I have spoken the truth, I have offered well-meaning criticisms in the interest of accountability,” ani Erice.
Pero pahayag ng kongresista, tila hindi tumatanggap ng kritisismo ang liderato ng Kamara, na aniya’y problema ng isang “dynastic politics.”
“But it appears that this House leadership does not welcome criticisms—and that is the real problem of dynastic politics, when the President of the Republic has a son serving as majority leader of this House,” anang kongresista.
Saad pa niya, “There is [an] unavoidable conflict of interest when a son becomes overly protective of his father—instead of protecting the integrity of legislation.”
Gayumpaman, wala umano siyang bitterness nang siya ay palitan ni De Lima sa puwesto.
“Yesterday, I was removed and replaced as senior deputy minority leader without any stated reason. But let me say this clearly: I have no bitterness about my replacement,” aniya.
“In fact, I am honored that I was replaced by a fellow liberal, and a par stronger fighter for truth and justice—Congresswoman Leila de Lima,” paglilinaw pa niya.
Vincent Gutierrez/BALITA
