Buhay party-list Representative Lito Atienza clashed with Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta and Deputy Majority Leader Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla during the House hearing on ABS-CBN franchise.
Atienza, during the interpellation quickly goes ballistic and accused Marcoleta of intimidating the legal counsel of ABS-CBN.
“I asked you on record because Congressman Marcoleta was browbeating you, he was not giving you a chance to answer. He is alleging a constitutional violation when there is none,” Atienza told Mario Bautista of ABS-CBN.
Remulla quickly interrupted Atienza and moved to strike off the “unparliamentary language” of Atienza from the records.
However, Atienza didn’t back off and told Remulla that the latter has no right to be “corrected” because they’re trying to dominate the hearings.
“Mr. Remulla, I’m not willing to be corrected by you because you also have been monopolizing these proceedings,” said Atienza who’s the father of Kim Atienza, one of the top talents of ABS-CBN.
The situation became heated so the House Committee on Legislative Franchise suspended the hearing.
After the situation eased, Anakalusugan Rep. Michael Defensor explained that they’re not the one deciding on the sequence of the congressmen who wanted to interpellate on the hearing.
Atienza then accused Marcoleta of having ‘immense advantage’ during the hearing.
“Pag siya nagsasalita, hindi po niyo ini-interupt, hindi po niyo pinipigil. ‘Pag kami po ang nagsasalita masyado kayo mahigpit, ngayon gusto niyo pang alisin ‘yung aking ginamit na kataga,” he said.
According to him, there’s nothing wrong with using the word ‘browbeating’.
Defensor then explained that Marcoleta was receiving too much time during the hearing because some of the lawmakers were giving their time to the latter.
Atienza then urged his colleagues not to be one-sided on the issue and just accept the answers from the government agencies that already cleared ABS-CBN from their alleged violations.
“Ang aking pakiusap sa mga kasamahan, kasama na po si Cong. Marcoleta, [Elpidio] Barazaga, Remulla nakikiusap ako sa ’yo, luwagan natin ang pananaw sa hearing na ito. Let us stick to the genuine issues of whether ABS-CBN has violated the constitution or not,” said Atienza.
“Paniniwalaan ba natin yung kasama nating congressman who may not agree with the Department of Justice, with the immigration officials, with the Securities and Exchange Commission?” he added.