Nagdesisyon ang House Committee on Ethics na patawan ng mas mabigat na disciplinary sanction si Negros Oriental Representative Arnulfo Teves Jr., dahil sa patuloy nitong unauthorized leave of absence.
Hindi naman idinitalye ni COOP NATCO Party-list Rep. Felimon Espares, Chair ng komite, kung ano ang ‘stiffer penalty’ na ito.
“The Committee on Ethics and Privileges, unanimously decided to recommend to the plenary the imposition of a stiffer disciplinary action to our colleague Arnulfo A. Teves Jr. for violation of the Rules of the House of Representatives particularly Rule 20 section 142 subsection A and B of the Code of Conduct and for disorderly behavior.” ani Espares
Ngunit kung pagbabatayan anila ang House Rules, maaaring expulsion o iba pang penalty na maaaring tukuyin ng Komite ang posibleng ipataw sa kasamahang mambabatas.
“Based on the House Rules, the stiffer penalty from suspension is explusion and there is another penalty that can be imposed, any penalty that the committee may determine, so yun na lang po yung natitirang options. But I’m not saying nay un yung decision o recommendation ng committee,” paglilinaw ni Ethic Committee Vice-Chair Jil Bongalon.
Paliwanag pa ni Bongalon, na hindi na sila maaaring magpataw ng mas mahaba pang suspension order dahil hanggang 60 araw lang ang maximum na maaari nilang ipataw.
“60 days lang po yung maximum na nakasulat sa ating Saligang Batas so we cannot impose more than that day, 60 days imposed under our 1987 constitution.” dagdag ni Bongalon.
Sixty days suspension ang unang ipinataw na sanction ng komite kay Teves.
Paglilinaw pa ni Espares, na anumang rekomendasyon ng Ethics Committee ay iaakyat at pagbobotohan pa sa plenaryo kung tatanggapin o papalitan.
Posible naman aniya na ngayon o sa Miyerkules ito maiakyat sa plenaryo. | ulat ni Kathleen Forbes
