Rep. Teodoro "Teddyboy" Locsin Jr., a staunch ally of Mayor Jejomar Binay, has vowed to dig up dirt on Undersecretary Wencelito Andanar of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Locsin is accusing Andanar of enforcing what the Makati congressman claims was an "illegal and baseless" Malacañang order suspending Binay. The Court of Appeals has stopped the mayor’s suspension.
Locsin told reporters that he received reports indicating that when Andanar was chairman of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), the DILG official was accused of misusing his agency’s funds.
"When Congress resumes session (on Nov. 6), I will seek an investigation into the use of PCA funds, particularly during Andanar’s time," he said.
He said Andanar should not have enforced an order "that had no basis in law."
He reiterated that the Palace issued an "illegal" suspension order based on a complaint of a long-time political opponent of Binay.
"The complaint was not verified (under oath) and anchored on mere suspicion. The complainant claimed that ‘maybe,’ there were ghost employees at City Hall," he said.
On Thursday, Locsin claimed that Binay’s suspension "was not about politics but money."
He said administration allies were out to control his city’s P8 billion annual earnings.
"It doesn’t take a lot of brains to figure out what they can do with that money," he said.
Though he sounds like one belonging to the political opposition, Locsin actually is part of the pro-administration majority bloc in the House. Last August, he voted with President Arroyo’s allies for dismissing the opposition’s impeachment complaint against her.
He chairs the committee on electoral reforms. In the House, only members of the majority get to head committees.
In September last year, he voted with the opposition for impeaching Mrs. Arroyo.
In a related development, opposition congressmen hailed the decision of the Court of Appeals to issue a 60-day restraining order on Binay’s suspension.
"Once again, justice triumphed against a regime fond of flouting the law and the Constitution," said Minority Leader Francis Escudero.
Deputy Minority Leader Roilo Golez said the appellate court’s issuance of the restraining order "shows that our last line of defense, the judicial phalanx, is holding its ground against the barbarians pounding at the gates."
"This follows the big victory a few days ago when the Supreme Court dismissed the petition of the Presidential Commission on Good Government and confirmed the power of Congress to summon officials of the Executive branch to legislative inquiries in aid of legislation," Golez said.