EVERYONE agrees the province lost and can lose a lot more following the ouster of 4th District Rep. Jose De Venecia Jr. as House Speaker.

Even the Pangasinan congressmen who unexpectedly voted “yes” to the ouster of De Venecia expressed fears that his ouster will affect the delivery of projects and benefits intended for the province.

Third District Rep. Rachel Arenas, a close friend of the De Venecias but who voted “yes” along with Reps. Arthur Celeste of the 1st District, Conrad Estrella III of the 6th District and his brother ABONO partylist Rep. Robert Estrella, said, “It’s really a big loss for the province and it will take time to heal the wounds.”

In an interview with The PUNCH, Arenas said her “yes” vote was a result of her consultations with the mayors in her district.

She said the “greater good of the country is bigger than the issue of being from Pangasinan.”

Estrella of the 6th District, in a telephone interview with The PUNCH, conceded “it was a big loss in terms of prestige”.

Meanwhile, De Venecia’s wife, Gina who was evidently bitter when she said, “I can’t find excuses for them for turning their back on their Manong Joe,” but quickly added “there’s no rancor in my heart”.

Second District Rep. Victor Agbayani, considered the last man standing for the former House Speaker as he was the lone Pangasinan congressman who voted “no” to the motion declaring the Speaker’s post vacant, said he firmly believes in De Venecia’s leadership and decided to stand by the long-standing friendship of his family with him, since his father Aguedo became governor.

He said Pangasinan lost great opportunities, noting that the speakership post comes with political influence for programs, projects and financial resources.

“Pangasinan has been deprived of that but the bigger picture is the country. What will be its effect on the Lakas, the political stability and the sustainability of economic gains,” he said.

He said his “no” vote was not an anti-GMA vote but “a patriotic vote, a vote for status quo vote, a vote for stability and that’s also good for the President and consistent to preserve the coalition”.

CHURCH,
CIVIL SOCIETY

Lawyer Gonzalo Duque, former vice governor and former de Venecia’s once political rival in the fourth congressional district-but-turned ally said he lamented the way De Venecia was ousted.

“Manong Joe should have exited when people were clapping (for him) and not when one is smelling like a dead fish before of his colleagues”.

Duque, brother of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, campaigned for De Venecia in the May congressional polls, told The PUNCH that De Venecia should have stepped down the day he launched his moral revolution crusade as an offshoot of the expose of the speaker’s son, Jose de Venecia III, regarding the controversial national broadband network deal.

“Maybe it was really time for him to come down. Sayang, he should have exited gracefully,” Duque said.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, for his part, said De Venecia’s ouster is a big loss because “in fairness, the speaker did a great job in the fast rehabilitation of Dagupan after it was hit by a powerful 1990 earthquake”.

Cruz, a staunch critic of Arroyo and her administration, also said the turn of events may prove well and good because “Now that he is free from the dictates of Malacañang, if he so decides, he can seek hearings in the Senate for legislative purposes (regarding his exposes) and whatever he says there, he will remain immune from suit but he should present strong evidence and credible witnesses”.

Cruz said if de Venecia does that “he will be serving the greater good of the country”.

LOCAL OFFICIALS

Meanwhile, while many Pangasinan officials were saddened by De Venecia’s ouster, they remain hopeful that projects will not be affected.

The city council of Dagupan, headed by Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, said the council members are optimistic that completion of projects in this city made possible through the former Speaker’s pork barrel, including the P1.2 billion peso Pantal-Dawel-Lucao diversion road will not be affected.

The diversion road is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of the year.#

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