DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/19 October) – House members led by Sulu Rep. Tupay Loong want Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles out allegedly because she insulted Rep. Fatima Aliah Dimaporo Wednesday last week.
Loong told ABS-CBN’s Umagang Kay Ganda Tuesday that he wasn’t around when Deles was supposed to have insulted Dimaporo.
Dimaporo could not be reached for comment but her text message to Deles belies allegations she was insulted.
Deles told MindaNews that after the conversation with Dimaporo where she was supposed to have insulted her, Dimaporo sent her this text message: “Secretay Deles, this is Aliah Dimaporo, 2nd district, Lanao del Norte. Thank you very much for your time. May I coordinate with Rose on visiting your office? Have a blessed day.”
Loong said “around 228” members of the House of Representatives have signed the resolution for Deles’ resignation.
Loong admitted to ABS-CBN’s Umagang Kay Ganda that he had some “di pinagkasunduan” (disagreement) with Deles, claiming she “never consulted us in violation of RA 9054.”
Loong said that in matters involving Moro representation, Deles “should first consult with us representatives and other officials.”
“For examble, in recommending somebody, she never consulted us, in violation of RA 9054,” Loong said.
Loong did not say what the disagreement was all about but it had something to do with the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) whose new chair was reportedly endorsed by Deles. Loong was reportedly rallying behind a fellow Tausug for the chairmanship.
He said the former president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo “had nothing to do with this” (move to oust Deles).
A congressman from Davao del Sur, Marc Douglas Cagas, proposed to have the budget of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process reduced to a peso.
The Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) said it is “alarmed over the resolution passed by Congress calling for the resignation of Sec. Deles.”
“While we do not wish to devalue the sensitivities of the members of Congress, we are deeply concerned over how a few of our representatives are wielding their prerogatives over matters of national interest. In this light, we also wish to express our disgust over the proposal to allocate P1 for the 2011 budget of the OPAPP.”
The IID called on the House majority, especially “all progressive elements in Congress to rally behind Sec. Deles and disabuse the minority who are obviously led by the unlamented former tenant of Malacanang from the false belief that the future of the peace negotiations may be played around and sacrificed at the altar of their vested interests.”
The statement added that Deles “deserves the unremitting backing of the President and Congress specially its leadership.”
“If President Aquino can zealously stand by his shooting buddy despite the almost universal clamor for this character to resign because of his role or ‘un-role’ in the recent hostage fiasco, Sec. Deles deserves no less from him,” it said.
“For her present efforts to shore-up the confidence of all stakeholders to the peace negotiations, we fully support Sec. Deles. We will not hesitate to be the first ones to criticize her if she detours from the path of a just and durable peace or if she succumbs to the selfish whims of politicians even from the majority coalition. Enough with these shameless attempts by some members of Congress to derail the peace process,” the statement concluded. (MindaNews)