PRIVILEGE SPEECH
REP. PASTOR M. ALCOVER JR.
ANAD Partylist Representative
January 16, 2012
PLEASE MAKE GOOD OF YOUR THREAT!
INTRODUCTION:
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HONORABLE MAJORITY FLOORLEADER.
MADAME SPEAKER AND ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES IN THIS AUGUST CHAMBER, THIS REPRESENTATION, RISES UP ON THE QUESTION OF PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE PRIVILEGE TO CLEARLY POINT OUT AND STRAIGHTEN INFORMATIONS DELIBERATELY TWISTED BY SOME GENIUSES TO FUEL UNDUE SPECULATIONS RESULTING IN SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS THAT I MALIGNED THE INTEGRITY AND CREDIBILITY OF THIS HONORABLE INSTITUTION.
I PRESUME THAT MOST OF US HERE ARE AWARE OF THE EVENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SIGNING OF THE IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT AGAINST CHIEF JUSTICE RENATO CORONA, UP TO THE TIME THAT MEDIA DID BLARE OUT REPORTS THAT THIS REPRESENTATION SHALL BE MADE TO ANSWER SERIOUS OFFENSE AGAINST THIS AUGUST CHAMBER, BEFORE THE ETHICS COMMITTEE, LEADING TO MY EXPULSION. IN FACT, FOUR (4) MEMBERS OF THIS HOUSE, WAS QUOTED BY MEDIA REPORTS AS HAVING COMMITTED TO SEEK “MY EXPULSION ONCE CONGRESS RESUMES SESSION THIS MONTH (DEC. 22, 2011, WWW.TRIBUNEONLINE.ORG). EVEN THE HONORABLE MAJORITY FLOORLEADER REPORTEDLY WAS QUOTED SAYING IN A TEXT MESSAGE TO A SUNSTAR REPORTER, “. . . THE NATURAL CONSEQUENCE OF ALCOVER’S FABRICATION . . . HIS MALICIOUS IMPUTATION IS AN AFFRONT TO THE HONOR AND INTEGRITY OF THE 188 MEMBERS WHO SIGNED THE IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT AND THEREFORE CONSTITUTES DISORDERLY CONDUCT” (DEC. 21, 2011, SUNSTAR-CEBU).
AS I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY, LET ME EMPHASIZE THAT THIS REPRESENTATION NEVER MADE A STATEMENT DIRECTLY ACCUSING PRESIDENT BENIGNO SIMEON AQUINO III OF BRIBING THE 188 CONGRESSMEN TO SIGN THE IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT AGAINST SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE RENATO CORONA.
IN STRAIGHT LANGUAGE, THE ISSUE THAT THE FOUR (4) CONGRESSMEN AND THE HONORABLE MAJORITY FLOORLEADER BROUGHT TO BEAR AGAINST ME IS A RESULT OF THE OVERZEALOUSNESS BY THE MAJORITY BLOCK TO PIN ME DOWN. THIS THEY DID WITHOUT CHECKING THE FACTS, EVEN EXTENDING A SIMPLE COURTESY OF CALLING ME UP TO HEAR MY SIDE.
ALLOW ME THEN TO STATE MY CASE ON THE ISSUE, MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THIS AUGUST CHAMBER. THIS ALL STARTED WHEN I
WAS INTERVIEWED LIVE OVER RADIO STATION DYDD, IN CEBU CITY, ON THE PROGRAM “YAGYAGAN” HANDLED BY ELIAS BAQUERO, WHO ALSO WRITES FOR SUNSTAR CEBU.
THE CONTENTS OF THE AFORESAID RADIO INTERVIEW WAS PUBLISHED AS A NEWS STORY IN SUNSTAR-CEBU DATED DECEMBER 20, 2011 UNDER THE BY-LINE OF ELIAS BAQUERO AND PRINCESS DAWN FELICITAS, AND I QUOTE, “. . . . ALCOVER SAID SOME OF HIS COLLEAGUES IN CONGRESS WERE THE ONES WHO TOLD HIM THAT THEY RECEIVED P1 MILLION EACH AFTER SIGNING THE IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT, WHICH SOME OF THEM DID NOT EVEN BOTHER TO READ.. . . . GIDAWAT KUNO NILA KAY MAAYO NALANG KUNO IPAMASKO SA ILANG CONSTITUENTS. (THEY SAID THEY ACCEPTED IT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO GIVE CHRISTMAS PRESENTS TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS.), ALCOVER SAID.” PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE WORD “KUNO” THAT WHEN TRANSLATED IN FILIPINO, IT IS ‘DIUMANO’ WHICH IN EFFECT IS STATEMENT THAT BEARS NO CERTAINTY OF TRUTH AND FACT BUT RATHER SOMETHING HEARD FROM ANOTHER PERSON.
THESE LINES WERE INSTANTLY PLAYED UP BY THE MEDIA IN MANILA AND THEN REPORTED IN NATIONAL BROADSHEETS AND RADIO BROADCAST NEWS WITH STATEMENTS OF MAJORITY FLOORLEADER REP. NEPTALI GONZALES, REPRESENTATIVES BEN EVARDONE OF EASTERN SAMAR, ROGER ESPINA OF BILIRAN, RENE RELAMPAGOS OF BOHOL, AND CESAR SARMIENTO OF CATANDUANES SAYING
THAT I SHALL BE INVESTIGATED BY THE ETHICS COMMITTEE ONCE CONGRESS RESUMES ITS SESSION ON JANUARY 16 FOR “MAKING FALSE ACCUSATIONS THAT HAS PUT THE LOWER HOUSE IN BAD LIGHT” AND ALLEGEDLY SHALL USE THE VERY SAME 188 MEMBERS OF THIS HOUSE TO PETITION THIS CHAMBER TO DEMAND MY EXPULSION. DO WE HAVE ROBO-REPS AMONG US? ROBO-REPS ARE THOSE WHO EASILY ARE SMOTHERED BY ANY TASTE OR SMELL OF POWER AND GRANDEUR!
AT THE SAME TIME, SOME ENTERPRISING BROADCAST PRACTITIONERS IN CEBU, PARTICULARLY IKE DURANO, THE STATION MANAGER OF DYRF, IN FANNING THE FLAMES AND ADD MORE FIRE TO THE ALREADY TENUOUS SITUATION, CALLED UP REP. NERI COLMENARES AND TEDDY CASIÑO AND INTERVIEWED THEM ON THE MATTER. THEREAFTER, IN CLAIMING FAIR AND BALANCE REPORTAGE, DURANO CALLED ME UP AND TOOK MY SIDE ON THE ISSUE. PRACTICALLY, IN MY INTERVIEW WITH DURANO, I JUST REPEATED THE VERY SAME THINGS THAT I’VE SAID DURING ELIAS BAQUERO’S RADIO PROGRAM. IMMEDIATELY AFTER OUR INTERVIEW, DURANO RANTED WITH EXPLETIVES AND INNUENDOES ACCUSING ME OF THINGS I NEVER COMMITTED NOR POSSESSED IN MY LIFETIME AND IN THIS GOD-CREATED WORLD! DURANO’S DIATRIBE BEST EXEMPLIFIES HOW MEDIA PERSONALITIES USE THE AIRLANES AND OTHER FORMS OF MEDIUM NOT ONLY TO DO A ‘SIP-SIP’ BUT DEVILISHLY DEVOUR ANYTHING THEY WANTED FOR SELFISH PERSONAL INTENTIONS!
MR. SPEAKER, IN ALL THAT I’VE SAID IN THESE INTERVIEWS, THERE WAS NO MENTION WHATSOEVER, NOR EVEN FINGER POINTING AND ACCUSING PRESIDENT AQUINO III OF BRIBING THE 188 CONGRESSMEN TO SIGN THE IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT. THE THINGS THAT THE NATIONAL MEDIA FEASTED ON WERE TWISTED MATERIALS OF INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO INGRATIATE THEMSELVES WITH THOSE IN POWER. TWISTED BY WHOM? THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE AND EASILY COULD BE MADE OUT BY ANYONE. AT WHOSE EXPENSE ARE THEY DOING THESE? AT MY EXPENSE AND NO ONE ELSE!
FOR THE INFORMATION OF ALL, THIS REPRESENTATION ALREADY KNEW, MONTHS BEFORE THE HOLIDAY RECESS THAT I AM ONE OF THOSE TARGETED FOR EXTERMINATION BY MALACAÑANG AND ABLY SUPPORTED BY THE MAJORITY BLOCK OF THIS CHAMBER. YES, EXTERMINATION IS THE APPROPRIATE WORD AND NOT JUST SIMPLE EXPULSION!
EXTERMINATION OF PRO-DEMOCRACY OR THE SO-CALLED ANTI-COMMUNIST LEGISLATORS HAS BEEN THE ORDER OF THE DAY METICULOUSLY LAID DOWN BY MAOIST TERRORISTS AND SMILING COMMUNIST PERSONALITIES WHO SUCCEEDED IN INFILTRATING MALACAÑANG; AND THOSE WHO ARE NOW WITH US, HERE IN THIS HOUSE OF PEOPLES REPRESENTATIVES. IN OTHER WORDS, MY NAME AND THAT OF FORMER REP. AND RETIRED MAJ. GEN. JOVITO PALPARAN JR. WAS ON TOP OF THEIR ORDER OF BATTLE, SO TO SPEAK.
ONE SHOULD NOT WONDER WHY THE CASE ON THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERLYN CADAPAN AND KAREN EMPEÑO WAS SWIFTLY RESURRECTED AND FILED BEFORE THE COURTS IN RECORD TIME! CAT-CALLS AND INNUENDOES AGAINST FORMER MEMBER OF THIS HOUSE AND RETIRED GEN. PALPARAN, TO INCLUDE THE VERY UNJUST AND UNFAIR ‘TRIAL BY PUBLICITY’, CAME OUT SWIRLING IN THE AIR TRUMPETED BY MAOIST TERRORIST LEGAL SECTORAL AND PSEUDO PARTYLIST ORGANIZATIONS, LED BY BAGONG ALYANSA MAKABAYAN, KARAPATAN, SELDA, DESAPARECIDOS, ANAKBAYAN, AMONG OTHERS. IN FACT, GEN. PALPARAN ALREADY IS CONVICTED OF THE CHARGE EVEN IF THE FORMAL TRIAL HAS NOT OFFICIALLY STARTED!
NOW, THE GUNS ARE TRAINED AGAINST ME! MY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES, THIS IS UNDENIABLY BRUTAL HARASSMENT AGAINST A FELLOW
REPRESENTATIVE WHOSE ONLY MISTAKE, IF EVER THERE WAS INDEED A MISTAKE, WAS TO TELL MEDIA WHAT SOME OF THE 188 CONGRESSMEN, WHO SIGNED THE IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT, TOLD ME.
MR. SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THIS CHAMBER, LET ME REPEAT – - WHY ME? WHY NOT INCLUDE THOSE WHO RESIGNED FROM THEIR POSITIONS IN THIS CONGRESS? THOSE WHO BOLTED FROM THE LIBERAL PARTY, THE PARTY OF THE PRESIDENT, IMMEDIATELY AFTER EITHER THEY SIGNED THE IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT OR REFUSED TO SIGN IT AND MANY OTHERS, WHO BRAVELY FACED THE MEDIA AND MADE STARTLING REVELATIONS?
TO TOP IT ALL, THOSE WHO ARE TOO EAGER TO EXPEL ME FROM THIS AUGUST CHAMBER ARE THE VERY SAME PERSONALITIES WHO NEVER DIPPED A FINGER UNTIL TODAY DINAGAT ISLAND REP. RUBEN ECLEO JR. REMAINS SCOT-FREE AND OFFICIALLY IS STILL A MEMBER OF THIS HOUSE DESPITE THE FACT THAT A WARRANT FOR HIS ARREST WAS ISSUED BY THE SANDIGANBAYAN ON CHARGES OF GRAFT AND CORRUPTION INVOLVING MILLIONS OF PESOS AND NOTWITHSTANDING THE PARRICIDE CASE HE IS FACING WITH THE REGIONAL TRIAL COURT IN CEBU CITY. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, WHAT HAS THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS HOUSE DONE TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY AND CREDIBILITY OF THIS HOUSE? NONE, WHATSOEVER! IN FACT, WOE TO THE DO-GOODERS OF THIS AUGUST CHAMBER WHO ARE CAUGHT FLAT-FOOTED AND TIGHT-LIPPED IN SILENCE, ON ECLEO’S CASE!
RESORTING TO EXPEL A MEMBER OF THIS HOUSE, DESPITE THE UNSUBSTANTIATED PROOFS AND CONCOCTED STORIES TO BACK THEIR CLAIMS AND JUST TO LET-GO OF THEIR EVIL PLAN OF SILENCING THIS LONE PRO-DEMOCRACY VOICE IN THIS CHAMBER, IS A COMPLETE CONTRAST TO THAT DARKEST AND DESPICABLE INCIDENT WHEN THIS CONGRESS THREW ITS PROTECTIVE MANTLE AGAINST THE INFAMOUS ‘BATASAN 5’ LED BY THEN REPS. SATUR OCAMPO, LIZA MAZA, ET AL AWAY FROM HARMS WAY AND FROM THE CLAWS OF THE LAW, FOR QUITE A PERIOD OF TIME. THIS DESPITE THE WARRANTS OF ARRESTS ISSUED BY THE COURTS AGAINST THEM FOR MULTIPLE MURDER AFTER POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AND NAMED PRIME SUSPECTS IN THE VIOLENT AND INHUMAN INOPACAN MASSACRE, IN SOUTHERN LEYTE. ADDING INSULT TO INJURY, OCAMPO AND COMPANY CONTINUED WITH THEIR ANTI-GOVERNMENT SLURS AND TIRADE WHILE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF AND IN THE COMFORTS OF THIS HOUSE. IRONICALLY, THIS IS THE VERY SAME INSTITUTION OF THIS GOVERNMENT THAT THEY VOWED TO DESTROY!
MR. SPEAKER AND ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES, WHY THE DOUBLE STANDARD UNVEILED BEFORE US BY THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS CHAMBER WHO ARE COWED BY THE POWERS EMANATING FROM MALACAÑANG? WITH THIS HAPPENING BEFORE US, THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF TRUTH TO RUMORS CIRCULATING THAT OUR COUNTRY’S LEADERSHIP IS MOVING TOWARDS REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNANCE WITH ITS UNWAVERING DESIRE TO CONTROL THE LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT. SOME SAY THAT THE COUNTRY IS NOW HAVING A ‘DE FACTO COMMUNIST STATE’ WITH THE SUPREME COURT AND ALL OTHER LOWER COURTS NO LONGER INDEPENDENT, RIGHTS OF OUR CITIZENS CURTAILED, AND INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE CHURCH, AFP, PNP, SLOWLY DESTROYED AND POWER NOW CENTRALIZED IN MALACAÑANG!
THE CREEPING AUTHORITARIAN LEADERSHIP ALWAYS LEADS TO DESPOTIC GOVERNANCE. IN THIS COUNTRY, THIS IS MORE PRONOUNCED WITH THE BATTLECRY AGAINST GRAFT AND CORRUPTION STARKINGLY USED AND ABUSED, AS EVER! IS THIS THE SO-CALLED ‘DAANG MATUWID’ THAT PNOY BLARINGLY SOUNDED AT THE QUIRINO GRANDSTAND, IN JUNE 30, 2010? WHETHER THIS IS TRUE OR NOT LARGELY DEPENDS ON HOW THIS CONGRESS RESPONDS TO ACTUAL SITUATIONS AND CONDITIONS!
IN FACT, THIS REPRESENTATION RECEIVED REPORTS THAT MALACAÑANG HAVE MOBILIZED THE SO-CALLED CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE TEAMS PRESENTING ITSELF AS ANOTHER ANTI-CORONA GROUP. THESE ARE THE VERY SAME GROUPS BEHIND PNOY’S CLIMB TO THE PRESIDENCY OF THE LAND, MAINLY COMPOSED OF THE BLACK AND WHITE MOVEMENT, AND OTHER SECTORAL FRONT AND PSEUDO PARTYLIST ORGANIZATIONS OF THE MAOIST TERRORIST CPP-NPA-NDF, THE EQUALLY INFAMOUS YELLOW ARMY AND THEIR TENTACLES IN MASS MEDIA ARE MOBILIZED TO INITIATE MASS ACTIONS FOR ANOTHER PEOPLE POWER TO CREATE A SEMBLANCE OF PUBLIC OUTCRY TO FORCE CHIEF JUSTICE CORONA TO RESIGN! UNCONFIRMED REPORTS SAY THAT A KNOWN LAW FIRM IS BANKROLLING THIS ACTIVITY BECAUSE OF THEIR EARNEST INTENTION THAT ONE OF THEIR PARTNERS SHALL BE THE COUNTRY’S NEXT CHIEF JUSTICE ONCE CHIEF JUSTICE CORONA RESIGNS.
WITH THESE CONDITIONS SET AND LAID DOWN BEFORE US, THE POLITICAL BACKDROP SEEMS MURKIER AND GLOOMY AS THE DAYS MOVE ON. THE FILIPINO PEOPLE ARE SOUNDING A VERY RELEVANT QUESTION: WHAT THEN IS LEFT FOR US SO THAT WE WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY THE FREEDOMS AND DEMOCRACY THAT OUR FOREBEARS HAD FOUGHT AND OFFERED THE SUPREME SACRIFICE?
MR. SPEAKER, I SUPPOSE THAT WITH THE THINGS I MENTIONED AND EXPOSED, THE THREAT OF EXPULSION AGAINST THIS REPRESENTATION REMAINS STRONG AND THE URGENCY FOR EXPULSION DID INCREASE. I STOOD UP NOT ONLY TO BEAR OUT THE TRUTH AND FACTS ON THE ISSUE SO THAT ALL OF US SHALL UNDERSTAND BUT TO RAISE THE ANTE ON THE NEED FOR A FREE AND DEMOCRATIC EXERCISE AMONGST US. TRULY, I MAY HAVE INCENSED OR INFLAMED THOSE WHOSE FEET I STEPPED ON. THEIR OUTRAGE AND ANGER MAY EXPLODE WITHIN MINUTES OR SECONDS AFTER I AM THROUGH WITH THIS. BUT AS THE SAYING GOES, TRUTH REALLY HURTS! DOESN’T IT?
MR. SPEAKER AND MY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES IN THIS HOUSE OF THE PEOPLES REPRESENTATIVES, I CALL ON THE MAJORITY FLOORLEADER AND THOSE WHO ARE TOO EAGER TO HAVE ME INVESTIGATED AND PILLORIED BEFORE THE ETHICS COMMITTEE TO MAKE GOOD OF WHAT THEY’VE BEEN SAYING TO MEDIA AND THE FILIPINO PEOPLE. DO NOT LET IT DIE AND BE BURIED AMONG THE DEBRIS OF CALLOUSNESS AND LIES FOR IT WOULD BE A COMPLETE DISSERVICE TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY YOUR CONSTITUENTS, WHO DESERVE THE BEST OF WHAT YOU HAVE, AMIDST THE DIRTY AND DEBILITATING PARTISAN POLITICAL LINES THAT SEEMS TO BE PRIMUS ENTER PARES IN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES IN THIS HOUSE.
ONCE AGAIN, TO USE THE WORDS OF DETECTIVE HARRY CALLAGHAN OF THE POPULAR MOVIE – ‘DIRTY HARRY’, I SAY – - – GOD AHEAD, MAKE MY DAY!!!
THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER.
