HOUSE Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said Thursday he was “embarrassed” by the near-brawl between two lawmakers on Wednesday during a heated discussion over which mode to use to amend the Constitution.
Alvarez said he would leave the matter between Reps. Robert Ace Barbers and Prospero Pichay, the head of the committee on constitutional amendments, to the House committee on ethics, where Pichay had threatened to lodge a complaint against Barbers.
“I think the matter has already been with the ethics committee. Let them handle it,” Alvarez told reporters.
He said Barbers and Pichay were “old enough” to face the consequences of their actions.
“I am embarrassed, really embarrassed,” Alvarez said. He said he hoped the incident would never happen again.
Alvarez made his statement even as House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas was set to take over the chairmanship of the committee on constitutional amendments following the altercation between Pichay and Barbers.
It also appeared on Thursday that the lawmakers appeared to favor the Constituent Assembly as the mode of amending the 1987 Constitution.
Alvarez said the altercation between Barbers and Pichay, who exchanged expletives during the congressional hearing on Charter Change, was unfortunate.
“But I don’t think the reputation of Congress was damaged because of the incident,” Alvarez said.
“It should not have happened if cooler heads had prevailed, but then again we will not let it happen again.”
Fariñas said the House leadership will find a way to patch things up between Barbers and Pichay.
He said the House will resolve the matter peacefully and try to put a “happy ending” to it.
Barbers thanked Fariñas and Alvarez for their understanding and repeated his apology to the public and to the House committee on constitutional amendments.
“I submit to the guidance of our Speaker and House Majority Leader for a peaceful resolution of that embarrassing incident that occurred yesterday [Wednesday],” Barbers said.