The Political alliance led by Mayor Sara Duterte yesterday assailed the ouster of Rep. Isidro Ungab (Davao City, third district) as chair of the influential appropriation committee in the Congress on Monday.
In a statement, the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) “strongly condemn(s) the removal of Davao City Congressman Isidro Ungab from his post as chair of the House Committee on Appropriations.”
“For HNP, the ouster of Ungab was grossly unacceptable as it is disadvatageous to the Duterte administration’s reform agenda for the Filipino people and the country. We laud him for being a good soldier of President Rodrigo Duterte and for doing his job with pride and principle,” the HNP statement said.
In his statement posted on his Facebook account, Ungab thanked his partymate “for their statement of support.”
“As I have said, the truth will always prevail,” he said.
“Guided by my conscience, I will not falter as I stand by on how I have delivered and managed our national budget, ensuring that the projects, plans, and programs of the Duterte Administration will succeed.”
Mayor Duterte yesterday personally expressed her support to the third district representative.
“We fully support Congressman Ungab,” the presidential daughter said.
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano removed on Monday two key committee chairs after he received an ouster plot coming from the camp of Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.
Aside from Ungab, Oriental Mindoro 1st District Rep. Salvador Leachon was ousted as the head of the electoral tribunal.
Last week, Cayetano claimed Velasco’s camp offered several lawmakers budget allocations and chairmanship positions so he could take over the lower chamber’s top post.
President Rodrigo Duterte brokered last year a deal for Cayetano to serve as Speaker for 15 months or until 2020, followed by Velasco for 21 months.
Mayor Duterte, who is critical of Cayetano, has backed up Velasco for Speaker ever since the current Congress started.
Over the weekend, Mayor Duterte was with Velasco as they biked going to Davao Oriental.
Velasco had denied the supposed power grab move against Cayetano.
Mayor Duterte was an instrumental in the ouster of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and replace him with Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the President’s State of the Nation Address in 2018.
In the last elections, Hugpong supported 16 candidates for the Senate. Nine won.
