By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez

The entry of 32 new party-list congressmen in the House of Representatives has given Speaker Prospero Nograles and House Secretary General Marilyn Barua-Yap a headache on where to accommodate them and their staff.

Of course, the bigger problem is money, estimated by Nograles to reach about P200 million for the salaries and staff and daily operations of the new congressional offices, which he said was not in the House budget for 2009.

Each House member is also entitled to P70 million in pork barrel.

Nograles said he will talk with Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. to help him find a way out of this dilemma.

With the P700-million south wing annex building still being constructed and won’t be ready until the end of the year, Nograles has raised the idea of a room-sharing scheme among some of the lawmakers, a proposal greeted with cheers and jeers by House members.

Gabriela party-list Representative Liza Maza said she is willing to share her room with Mong Palatino of the Kabataan party list.

Rep. Risa Hontiveros of Akbayan party list said she has yet to receive word on her request for Professor Walden Bello, the other Akbayan congressman, to use the extension of either deputy speaker Raul Del Mar and Pablo Garcia as his office.

Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo said his office can accommodate temporarily another lawmaker, saying, “it would be an opportunity to learn from each other.”

Arroyo’s aunt, Lourdes, is coming in as the fourth Arroyo in the House representing the Kasangga party list.

Nueva Ecija Rep. Eduardo Nonato Joson said room-sharing “might be out of the question” since the rooms of lawmakers are already cramped. Instead, he proposed rental of office spaces near the Batasan complex for the 32 new members.

And in jest, he said, “Paano kung Ladlad iyong party list?” referring to the group of Filipino lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT).

By JOEL GUINTO

INQUIRER.net

THE birthday boy said he wanted to “hang loose,” with no to talk of politics, but his guests, which included power players from politics and high society, and even “Erap,” thought otherwise.

At the stroke of midnight on Saturday, they toasted Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on his 45th birthday, and wished him success in his bid to become the country’s next president.

Several bars in the packed hall at Blue Leaf in The Fort, Taguig, churned out glass after glass of the night’s signature cocktail which was named after the birthday celebrant—“Gibo,” a sweet and fruity, but lethal mix.

The drink was green, which is shaping to be Teodoro’s campaign color. That night, he wore a white shirt with pale green stripes over blue jeans. His wife, Tarlac Representative Monica Prieto-Teodoro was in a pale gray off-shoulder number that tastefully displayed her fashion model form.

“It took us several tastings before we settled for this,” Teodoro said of his namesake drink.

In a speech after his birthday toast, Teodoro urged his guests to “hang loose because tomorrow is another hectic day.”

Bukidnon Governor Joe Zubiri then took to the stage and said: “I’m sorry, Gilbert. That’s how we are in my family. When we trust a candidate, we can trust only that candidate… You are the best at this time.”

“Northern Luzon will support you. Mindanao will support you. The Visayas will support you, Gilbert. You’re gonna be the next president of the Republic of the Philippines. Happy Birthday to the President,” Zubiri said as the crowd cheered.

Zubiri, father of Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, said Teodoro shouldn’t pay attention to his dismal ratings in recent opinion surveys because people in the provinces have not heard of such studies.

The crowd then proceeded to dance to the “Limbo Rock” before they formed a conga line that went around the dance hall.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita danced the swing with Mrs. Teodoro.

Other Cabinet Secretaries at the carnival-themed party were Presidential Management Staff Chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr. and Trade Secretary Peter Favila.

Military Chief General Victor Ibrado, whose Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class adopted Teodoro as an honorary “mistah” or classmate led the military top brass in greeting their defense secretary.

Also present were Navy Chief Vice Admiral Ferdinand Golez, Army Chief Lieutenant General Delfin Bangit, former military chief Alexander Yano, who was recently confirmed as Ambassador to Brunei, and former Air Force chief Pedrito Cadungog.

Stilt walkers welcomed guests to the Blue Leaf hall on McKinley Hill, which was decorated with brightly-colored ribbons and glittering masks.

A surprise guest, “Erap,” master impersonator Willie Nepomuceno as former president Joseph Estrada, also greeted the celebrant.

After a brief stand-up act, “Erap” raised Teodoro’s hand on stage as if they were at a campaign rally.

Throwing a party for no reason and inviting only the host

By Makati Rep. Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.

BECAUSE this is just a resolution, the House will vote by mere yells of yeas and nays. In the tumult, the public and the press may mistake who voted for and against it. Make no mistake RONNIE ZAMORA AND I are voting NO because we have kept our wits about us unlike the others who have lost all of theirs. For this resolution convenes only the Lower House of Congress as a constituent assembly to “consider,” as the Constitution puts it, constitutional amendments that no one has proposed, do not exist, and therefore cannot be considered.

This strictly House only resolution is like sending out an invitation to a party to which the host has invited only himself.

This is also like sending out an invitation to a party on no definite date for no stated occasion other than the host throwing a party for himself by himself. On top of which, the host—Rep. Luis Villafuerte—has cancelled the party and withdrawn the invitation though some—how shall we call them?—housebreakers, I suppose—have decided to go on with the party.

This is a resolution calling for the convening of the Lower House of Congress as a constituent assembly the day before it adjourns. This is like sending out an invitation to a party on no date, for no stated occasion, while announcing that the host is leaving for a long vacation abroad.

It is said that this invitation to a party inviting only the host is intended to provoke a reaction from those not invited.

Whoever came up with this idea of a party has no idea about throwing a party except what he might have learned from the videos of the parties that Hayden Kho threw where he was both host and sole party animal except for his unwitting partner. But Hayden Kho had an excuse. He was drugged. The question is under what kind of influence is this kind of party being thrown? In other words, nag-e-Ecstasy ba ang mga proponents of this House resolution and why are not they not sharing the joy?

It is said that we must do this because, unless we throw a party for no reason inviting only ourselves, we will never know for sure if such a party can be thrown?

But how will we know? We are sure to be ignored by those we did not invite even as we will be ignored by the social arbiter to which we are appealing on this score.

I submit that the Supreme Court and the country as a whole will ignore us—and then laugh at us all the way to the ignominious end of the 14th Congress. We shall be ignored as surely as we shall be laughed at.

For this is a resolution calling upon the members of Congress but naming only the members of the House to convene constituently for no stated purpose. And yet the Constitution specifies that Congress may convene as a constituent assembly only for the purpose of considering—considering—not introducing let alone just awaiting—proposals to amend or revise the Constitution upon a vote of 3/4 of all the members of Congress. This resolution puts the cart before the horse because, there being no amendments to consider, there is no purpose to convene Congress as a constituent assembly.

It is a blatant lie that this resolution reflected upon its introduction to the floor of the House a consensus of the House of a need to amend the Constitution because, aside from the Speaker of the House who filed his amendment to the economic provisions as a regular bill, no one has expressed any desire to change the Constitution or expressly specified in what particular respect.

As for the lawyers among us who say they want to litigate this question, they will be provoking the Supreme Court to render what it cannot and will not—to wit, an opinion in no concrete case and controversy. These lawyer-legislator should tread carefully for the Court is liable to strip them of their license for trifling with the Court and the processes of justice.

This resolution mocks the House and holds it up to ridicule. If anything, it is a fit subject not of a vote but an ethics investigation of the proponents of this measure for inviting the contempt of the nation upon our House.

This is a venture which can be described by only one word that politeness forbids me to say.