HOUSE of Representatives (HRep) Secretary General Reginald Velasco on Monday met with the media to explain in greater detail the joint statement of party leaders at the HRep in response to recent pronouncements of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“The political party leaders thought it was necessary to issue a statement,” Secgen Velasco said, after the former President spoke harshly against the HRep, going so far as to threaten the life of an incumbent representative.
Secgen Velasco clarified that relations between former President Duterte and the HRep as an institution remain cordial, recalling how cooperative the HRep was during the previous Administration in passing all legislative proposals during the height of the pandemic. He also said that the HRep respects the opinion of the former President.
Secgen Velasco reiterated his earlier message that the HRep has yet to receive any adverse finding from the Commission on Audit (COA) in the way the HRep manages its finances, sharing that the COA inspects the financial records of the HRep on a monthly basis.
Secgen Velasco also dismissed the conjecture that the diversion of confidential funds of some offices to agencies involved in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) concern is politically-motivated, “Mayroon pa siya (the Speaker) almost two years to finish the term. And then, he has another term, 2025 to 2028. So bakit pinagu-usapan yung 2028 elections?”
He added that the diversion of confidential funds is a collective decision of the HRep, which according to the Secgen, the Senate is inclined to agree with. He also pointed out that there were other offices which had their confidential funds were reduced and redirected. Secgen Velasco said that affected offices may still appeal the decision by submitting justifications for their use of confidential funds.
Secgen also assured the media that the HRep is working to restore the defaced HRep website, and is coordinating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to make the HRep website more secure against hacking and defacement.