Will Alvarez get punished by House colleagues over ethics case?

Davao del Norte 1st district Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez (Facebook)

Whether or not Davao del Norte 1st district Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez will be punished over his ethics case will be known Wednesday, May 22, during the final session day of the second regular session.

The House Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which has been deliberating on the ethics complaint filed against Alvarez for the past two weeks, will endorse to plenary Wednesday their recommendation in terms of a punishment for the former House Speaker.

The 300-plus strong chamber will then put the matter to a vote, with two-thirds in the affirmative needed to make the sanction official.

Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon, a vice chairman of the committee, bared in a press conference Tuesday, May 21 that they’ve already made up their minds on the Alvarez case.

“So, early this morning, around past 10 in the morning, the Committee on Ethics and Privileges convened to discuss the merits of the case filed against Cong. Pantaleon Alvarez. And I apologize because I’m not at liberty to disclose the committee recommendation but what we have done earlier is that we have already approved the committee report as to the penalty or sanction to be imposed against Cong. Pantaleon Alvarez,” he said.

Bongalon said the panel was “unanimous” in seeking to penalize Alvarez.

“Again, we would like to emphasize that the committee’s decision is just recommendatory and that is subject for the approval of the plenary in the session,” said the assistant majority leader.

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The ethics panel was expected to submit its committee report to the Committee on Rules as a matter of procedure on Tuesday afternoon, May 21. However, the matter wasn’t taken up during plenary session that day.

This makes its likely for the committee report to be presented Wednesday. Congress will adjourn sine die on the same day.

The complainant, Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy, had presented three grounds to penalize Alvarez.

Uy cited the supposed libelous remarks made by Alvarez against his fellow government officials, including the vice governor of Davao del Norte. Then, there’s the solon’s alleged seditious remarks during a political rally where he urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to withdraw its support from President Marcos.

The mayor also cited Alvarez’s alleged habitual absences in the House of Representatives, but this was dismissed in an earlier hearing. — Ellson Quismorio