The House at its all time low (Updated)

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I think a congresswoman’s explanation of her vote best sums up why the majority of congressmen voted to unseat Pangasinan Representative Jose de Venecia, Jr. as Speaker of the House of Reprehensibles. If I remember correctly, her vote has something to do with staff, pork barrel, and projects.

In short, it is all about the money.

And if gossip is right, the price for a yes vote was Php 1 million – the half paid after the vote. So, that would be Php 174 million. Neat. No wonder everyone wants to be a congressman.

Here’s the list of how congressmen voted last night. See if your congressman voted yes, and then ask him/her to show you the money.

For residents of district 2 of Caloocan, Mary Mitzi “Mitch” Cajayon voted yes. So yes, you can ask her money for your needs and projects. (And to think I shook hands with her when she campaigned last year *shudders* When I get to register in Caloocan, I will definitely not vote for her. I mean, come on. We are all for change and reform, but what happened last night was not for change and reform. Lokohin nyo lelang nyo.)

Seriously, if JDV meant what he said, and assuming all he said was true, then his removal was a calculated move by the Fortress. If JDV really knows a lot, the vote last night was a big risk for the Fortress, yet it pushed for such a vote. Maybe the Fortress is assuming that the fallout will be minimal. The Fortress is banking on JDV’s very low credibility (see this post and this post, for example); that the people would assume that JDV was just mounting a desperate attempt to save his seat. The Fortress is operating on the assumption that the people is on a “let’s move on” mentality. On that, the Fortress is correct – we have been in that mode since 2005.

An act of desperation, maybe. But a desperate man will do anything because he has nothing more to lose.

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In one part of his speech, JDV warned that if it had happened to him, it will happen to others, too. That’s what I have been telling everyone since 2005.

UPDATE:

It seems that the Arroyo regime knows the pulse of the people. After stabbing JDV with 174 knives, the Fortress attempts to downplay his “exposes”, calling him “too late the hero.” And the Fortress is prolly right, based on initial reactions from bloggers.

8 thoughts on “The House at its all time low (Updated)”

  1. For an economist, GMA sure sucks at strategy. What is she trying to accomplish? Does she want to turn JDV into another Chavit?

    JDV has always been a loyal lapdog, and he would have kept his mouth shut if GMA had just left him alone. But cornered animals bite–everyone knows that.

    joyfulchicken’s last blog post..There was a problem? No kidding

  2. GMA thinks JDV is an animal whose bite is just an annoyance and not much else. I think she did not miscalculate, seeing the initial reactions of people to JDV’s speech.

    Another Chavit? Sorry, but majority of the people just wanted to move on.

    Come to think of it. What if the current mentality existed in 2000?

  3. Pingback: Alleba Politics » Blog Archive » Nograles is Now Speaker of the House

  6. Reform and change does not reside in traditional politicians like Jose De Venecia, his former colleagues in the administration, and most of their counterparts from the opposition. I believe it was another fracture in the Filipino elite, and a significant one at that. Reform and change did not die.

    Social change comes only with the empowerment of a vigilant citizenry. Fomenting that (spontaneously as in EDSA I and II or not as in the case of peoples’ groups organizing in the communities) is difficult enough. Sustaining it (for example, guarding the gains and legacies of the two EDSA uprisings) – even more difficult.

    Karlo Mikhail’s last blog post..On De Venecia?s Ouster

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