Solons boycott session over veto

Congressmen apparently boycotted their session yesterday in protest over President Estrada's veto of special provisions in the budget law.

The boycott is part of the passive strike of the House which has been unable to take up any of the important pending administration-sponsored bills since the presidential veto earlier this month.

The chamber adjourned its session yesterday afternoon after an administration lawmaker, Rep. Antonio Diaz of Zambales, questioned the quorum.

Deputy Speaker Alfredo Abueg ordered a roll call, but only 95 of the 220 members responded, prompting him to declare an adjournment until 4 p.m. today.

Asked why most congressmen were absent, Assistant Minority Leader Raul Gonzalez (NP, Iloilo City) said members belonging to the majority "were probably still smarting from the rejection of the special provisions" in the P629-billion budget for this year.

He said these congressmen were waiting to be mollified by Lapian ng Masang Pilipino (LAMP) leaders who, he added, have promised that the President would undo his veto by issuing an executive order.

The order is supposed to return to members of Congress their role in the implementation of infrastructure projects. The vetoed special provisions required that lawmakers be consulted or their concurrence taken on such projects.

Deputy Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II (LAMP, Mandaluyong) said he was surprised that it was Diaz, a member of the majority, who questioned the quorum.

"I did not expect it. I always expected the quorum question to come from the minority. But he raised it, So we called his bluff. We are tired of pleading with them," he said.

Diaz belongs to the so-called Group of 20 in the House which spearheaded a similar boycott of sessions when the chamber started floor debates on the 2000 budget late last year.

He is one of several congressmen representing the ruling LAMP in the powerful Commission on Appointments.

He raised the quorum question after Iloilo City's Gonzalez inquired from Abueg about the procedure to be followed by the House in handling the presidential veto.

The vetoed special provisions in the budget law related to the use of some P52 billion in pork barrel funds.

Opposition Rep. Oscar Moreno (Lakas, Misamis Oriental) said with the rejection of the provisions, Mr. Estrada now has total control over tens of billions in "pork" money in the budget.

He said the President could use these funds to revive his Concord (Constitutional Correction for Development) or Cha-Cha (Charter change) initiative, or to support his favorite candidates in next year's combined local and congressional elections by releasing money for their projects.

Earlier, Majority Leader Eduardo Gullas (LAMP, Cebu) warned the administration that because of the veto, the House would have difficulty in passing priority measures, including the power restructuring bill that would pave the way for the sale of the National Power Corp., and proposed amendments to the Revised Securities Act.