House halts Singson salary

MANILA, Philippines - The payment of the salary and other emoluments to Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson has been suspended starting today even as the House awaits the resignation of the congressman now doing time in a foreign prison.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. told reporters yesterday Singson’s father, Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson, went to his residence on Sunday night to discuss his son’s resignation.

Congressman Singson was sentenced by a Hong Kong court last week to an 18-month jail term for drug trafficking.

Belmonte said the elder Singson had actually phoned him two to three weeks ago to inform him of his son’s plan to give up his House seat.

“When he came last night, he confirmed it. I asked him about the letter (of resignation). Sabi niya kukunin pa niya. Sabi ko kahit handwritten na lang, irrevocable, pwede na yun (He said he would still get it. I told him it’s okay even if handwritten). So he will send somebody to get the letter from his son,” he said.

He said Singson promised to transmit to the House his son’s resignation later this week.

Belmonte pointed out that once Rep. Singson quits, the ethics committee would no longer have to take up his case and vote on it.

“It will not go to the ethics committee anymore. We will make a report to the House, informing them that I have received the letter of resignation. Then I will order the secretary general to remove his name from the list of members,” he said.

He said he has asked Bohol Rep. Erico Aumentado, ethics committee chairman, to postpone the hearing on Singson’s case scheduled this afternoon.

For his part, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said resignation on the part of Singson would spare his House colleagues from having to hear his case in the committee on ethics and eventually in plenary session.

“That will be a long and potentially contentious and divisive process. There will be a lot of debates both in the committee and plenary before we take a vote to expel him, assuming that will be the recommendation of the committee,” he said.

He said a two-thirds vote of all members (187 of 280) is required for expulsion.

He added that if Singson resigns, the House would declare his seat vacant and call for a special election in his district.

Responding to questions, Gonzales said the congressman’s governor-father could run in such election without giving up his gubernatorial seat.

“If he wins and takes his oath as a member of the House, that is the time he has to resign as governor,” he said.

The elder Singson is a former House member.

Gonzales said the imminent removal of Singson’s name from the roster of members has a precedent in the case of former Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Romeo Jalosjos, who was convicted of raping an 11-year-old girl.

“We delisted him when the conviction became final,” he said.