Surigao del Sur 1st District Rep. Prospero Pichay has filed an ethics complaint against Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Ace Barbers before the House of Representatives.
It may be recalled that Pichay and Barbers nearly came to blows last Oct 12, the day the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Amendments started deliberations on the 25 bills and resolutions seeking amendments to the country’s 1987 Constitution. This was in line with the administration’s push for charter change.
The discussion had heated up when Deputy Speaker Gwen Garcia moved to get the committee to pick constituent assembly as the preferred mode to amend the constitution. However, there were others who had insisted this “is not binding on the plenary.”
At this point, Surigao del Sur 1st District Rep. Prospero Pichay had suggested “inviting the Senate to join the House of Representatives in discussing the matter.”
However, his motion was allegedly “indirectly referred to as ‘stupid’ and ‘senseless'” by Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert “Ace” Barbers.
Barbers had been quoted as saying, “Mr. Chairman, let us not entertain senseless motions. Those are stupid motion, pardon my French.”
The session was suspended to defuse the tension, but during the break, Barbers approached Pichay. The two started arguing, cussing at each other, and almost coming to blows.
Check out the video of that hostile encounter below:
“So, now, Pichay’s complaint is for Barbers’ supposed violation of Section 138, Rule XIX of the House Rules concerning the code of conduct which requires that congressmen shall act at all time ‘in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House,'” reports RG Cruz on ABS-CBN News Online.
Barbers won’t be surprised by this development as he told reporters last week that he has already prepared himself for the prospect of an ethics complaint.
“As I said, that’s his right. I’ll face that. I’m also not prohibited from filing the same. We’ll see. We’ll cross the bridge when we get there,” he said.
The report noted: “The House is currently on a two-week recess. Under House rules, The House may, upon the recommendation of the Committee on Ethics, punish its members for any violation of its Code of Conduct and for disorderly behavior.”
What does that mean?
Well, the House can either reprimand an erring member with the concurrence of the majority of all its members or it may suspend or expel an erring member with the concurrence of two-thirds of all its members. The maximum suspension penalty is 60 days.
