Dear Editor,
There's much ado about nothing on the recent tirades of the House of Representatives against former President Rodrigo Duterte for his statements against the lower chamber and his allegations that the House is the "most rotten organization."
But while the former President's accusations are way below the belt as is alarming, it is worth noting that the leadership of the House of Representatives is bent on clearing its name on Duterte's lashes.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez recently declared that he is not fazed by critics who have blasted Congress for its handling of the issue of confidential funds.
Romualdez declared weeks after the former President publicly called out the House and its members over the chamber's decision to strip his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, of P650 million in confidential funds in the 2024 budget.
The House Speaker stressed that the chamber was "never lenient, nor did it favor anyone" and that its decision on the confidential funds issue should not be interpreted as a personal affront.
It was a bold move that Romualdez stressed that their hard work should not be undermined by those "dissatisfied few whose only intention is to sow divisiveness" as the House is being threatened by opportunistic motives that aim to distract them from fulfilling their mandate.
But I think this issue will not die down quietly in the following days, as the former President has found an unlikely ally in Senator Imee Marcos, who also took a bold stance and vowed to shield the former President from the scathing criticism emanating from members of the House of Representatives.
Marcos — the sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. — stood as the former President's fierce defender and even vowed that even if she were the only one left, she would remain standing for Duterte.
The senator's statements may be reflected in the previous gesture of Duterte when he permitted the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s remains to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani on 18 November 2016.
She also reaffirmed her alliance with the Vice President, stressing that the Dutertes are her friends in keeping the peace and fighting the evil forces that spread corruption and hunger.
These tirades between the House and the former President and his allies are making a crack on the relationships between the two main branches of government. If these do not "die a natural death" and continue to be fueled by hidden agendas, then there may be more than meets the eye.
As they say, make peace and not war. We have enough war in our midst as it is, and we don't need these kinds of incidents that sow divisiveness as it will not help in the administration's goal of providing Filipinos a better life.
Benjo Solomon
bensol@gmail.com