P-Noy meets with female House members sans GMA

MANILA, Philippines -  President Aquino met yesterday with 27 of the 62 female members of the House of Representatives including those from the opposition, except former president and Pampanga congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“The President said this will not be the first and the last time he will be meeting them. And members of the opposition came except GMA,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said, referring to Arroyo through her initials.

Aquino invited the female lawmakers regardless of their vote in the impeachment of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and the deferment of the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Lacierda stressed the meeting didn’t delve on their pork barrel entitlements, but only on specific concerns in their districts, like school buildings, dams, and irrigation facilities.

All lawmakers – regardless of party affiliation – will get their share of the pork barrel, Aquino said.

Lacierda said one of the female legislators who attended the meeting was staunch Arroyo ally Occidental Mindoro Rep. Amelita Villarosa, who had voted against the impeachment of Gutierrez last week.

He said he didn’t know why Arroyo did not attend the meeting.

He said Arroyo is “welcome” to join the meeting.

Just like Bataan Rep. Herminia Roman, wife of incumbent Secretary Tony Roman of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, Lacierda said any legislator can have “private time” with the President, where they can discuss ways to support the administration’s development efforts.

The female legislators – members of the Association of Lady Legislators (ALL) – were brought by their president and Pangasinan Rep. Georgina de Venecia, wife of former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., under whose term Aquino once served as Deputy Speaker for Luzon.

Mrs. De Venecia and Aquino’s mother, the late President Cory Aquino, were very close friends. “She had been there helping my mom. Manay Gina is somebody who has always told us the truth whether it’s good or bad,” Aquino said during the April 2010 campaign. 

The lady legislators went to Malacañang to personally express their group’s support for the plans and programs of the administration.

An “open forum type meeting-cum-working lunch” with the President was held at the Premier Guest House.

In her opening remarks, De Venecia told the President that the ALL is willing to partner with his administration’s advocacy on protecting the rights of women and children, as well as on environment and against poverty and corruption.

“We are here to express our support for the administration’s good initiatives for the country,” De Venecia said in Filipino.

“It was a big thing to sacrifice time you could be spending with your constituents to be here,” Aquino said. “So your presence here is doubly appreciated.”

Present during the meeting aside from De Venecia and De la Rosa were Linabelle Villarica (4th Dist., Bulacan), Mercedes Alvarez (6th Dist., Negros Occidental), Bai Sandra Serma (1st Dist., Maguindanao), Imelda Calixto-Rubiano (Lone Dist., Pasay City), Bernadette Herrera-Dy (Bagong Henerasyon party-list), Daryl Grace Abayon (Aangat Tayo party-list), Marlyn Primicias-Agabas (6th Dist., Pangasinan), Emmeline Aglipay (Democratic Independent Workers’ Association party-list), Thelma Almario (2nd Dist., Davao Oriental), Ma. Victoria Sy-Alvarado (2nd Dist., Bulacan), Rachel Arenas (3rd Dist., Pangasinan), Catalina Bagasina (Association of Laborers and Employment party-list), Eleonor Bulut Begtang (Lone Dist., Apayao), Anna York Bondoc (4th Dist., Pampanga), Jane Castro (2nd Dist., Capiz); Julieta Cortuna (A Teacher party-list), Ma. Theresa Bonoan-David (4th Dist., Manila), Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo (1st Dist., Lanao del Norte), Abigail Faye Ferriol (Kalinga party-list), Ana Cristina Go (2nd Dist., Isabela), Cinchona Cruz-Gonzales (CIBAC party-list), Catalina Leonen-Pizzaro (ABS party-list) and Lani Mercado-Revilla (2nd Dist., Cavite).