"It’s my prerogative as the local chairman of the party and I did not violated any law for that," Malonzo told The STAR in a telephone interview.
Malonzo was reacting to published reports that the city councilors objected to his endorsement of his son, 24-year-old Christopher Malonzo, an Economics graduate of UST, as the replacement of Councilor Eduardo Rosca, who died last month.
"I haven’t heard of that from them (councilors)," Malonzo said. "It could only be the handiwork of (Mayor Enrico) Echiverri feeling insecure of a Malonzo’s return at the City Hall," the former mayor said.
In a text message to The STAR, Echiverri said that it may be the "sentiment" of Malonzo’s local partymates.
He also mentioned that there is an "unwritten rule" that a deceased city councilor should be replaced by a member of his own family. And in Rosca's case, it should be his daughter Kristen Joy, who is also the one recommended by the city council.
Malonzo admitted that his partymates endorsed another person but that not one of them has talked to him about their objection to his recommendation.
Malonzo even said that Echiverri’s own son is "now occupying the post of deceased local Liga ng mga Barangay chairman Rogelio Zarasa," who died in an ambush in Bulacan a few weeks after the May elections last year.
"There, the law clearly states that a vacancy in the barangay must be ‘filled automatically’ by the official next-in-rank of the organization concerned," Malonzo said.
"In Zarasa’s case, it should be the Liga vice president, and not Echiverri’s son," Malonzo pointed out.
On Feb. 21, Speaker Jose de Venecia, Lakas-CMD president, nominated the young Malonzo to fill in the vacant seat at the city council.
On Feb. 24, local government Secretary Angelo Reyes also endorsed the young Malonzo’s nomination to the office of Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.
The Executive Secretary is to forward the endorsement to the Office of the President. –Pete Laude