Nograles, co-lawmaker face usurpation raps

MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Prospero Nograles and Abakada Guro Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz were charged with usurpation of authority before the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday.

In their complaint, Abakada Guro president Samson Alcantara and members Romeo Robiso, Lope Feble, Noel Tiampong and Pedro Dabu Jr. said Nograles and House of Representatives secretary-general Marilyn Yap are allegedly aiding De la Cruz in committing usurpation of authority in violation of the Revised Penal Code.

“With the coddling of the Speaker and the House secretary-general, Mr. Jonathan dela Cruz continued to represent himself as a member of Congress as representative of Abakada Guro party-list,” read the complaint.

“He continued to go around, in media and in Congress, representing himself as such. He refused to vacate his office.”

The Abakada Guro members said De la Cruz is being given special protection to allow him to continue representing their party-list group in Congress despite his irrevocable resignation on May 5, 2009.

“Evidently, the Speaker’s duty to recognize and enter the name of attorney Samson Alcantara into the roll of members of the House of Representatives is only ministerial/ceremonial in view of the express mandate of the Party-list Law,” read the complaint.

De la Cruz has ceased to be their representative in Congress, and Alcantara is supposed to replace him, Abakada Guro members said.

Nograles and Yap have allegedly refused to honor the findings of House chief legal counsel Leonardo Palicte III that there is no legal impediment for the Speaker to formally recognize the second nominee of Abakada Guro, according to the complaint. – Michael Punongbayan