House Speaker Dy welcomes Puno criticism over poor leadership

House of Representatives Speaker and Isabela 6th District Rep. Bojie Dy claimed no hard feelings over the remarks of National Unity Party Chairman and Deputy Speaker Ronaldo “Ronnie” Puno on his leadership of the 20th Congress.

“My door is always open to our colleagues in the House. The strength of this constitution lies in our ability to talk openly, resolve concerns constructively, and work together despite differences,” he said.

Dy noted that officials of the Congress have a joint responsibility of ensuring that government funds are used for the purpose of serving the Filipino people through various programs and infrastructure.

Puno openly aired his concerns over the “lack of action” on the part of the House Speaker regarding issues concerning the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) issuance of funding for projects among various districts.

The representative of Antipolo’s first district said that he had already informed Dy of the situation and felt that the former had set aside the issue and had yet to submit a response.

“He seems to be indifferent to the situation of lawmakers now. I hope that is not the case, because we voted for him, he is our Speaker. You have heard us in the past, you have not heard anything but support for them,” he said.

Puno maintained that his criticism did not come from a point of hatred, noting that he has been longtime friends with the Dy family, but from the speaker’s failure to act on issues.

“You know, personally, I love the House Speaker. When Bojie was still young, we were already friends; his father and his siblings were my friends. I am a very close, good, and avid fan of the Dy family. But he is not doing what he is supposed to do,” he explained.

He also added that the NUP was mulling a possible move to the minority as he saw no clear direction in potential actions for problems in their respective districts.

On issues at hand, Dy expressed that the Congress must remain focused on forming legislation that can support Filipinos amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

“The House remains committed to prioritizing the welfare of the Filipino people. Since I became Speaker, our direction has been clear that the welfare of people will always come first,” he stated.