MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives committee on ethics will sanction ACTS-OFW party-list Rep. Aniceto Bertiz lll for alleged misconduct in reportedly refusing to take off his shoes at the airport despite being asked to do so.
Sources in the House told reporters yesterday that the committee arrived at a consensus to impose a penalty in a closed-door session on Wednesday, during which a resolution filed by Bertiz himself asking the panel to investigate him was tackled.
“There is no decision yet on what sanction to impose. It could range from a reminder, a reprimand to suspension,” the sources said.
Reached for comment, Bertiz said, “I am leaving my fate to my colleagues in the House and our leaders and to God. I have already apologized for what I did. There is absolutely no justification for the way I conducted myself. I sincerely apologize not only to the security assistant I confronted, but also to my colleagues, our leaders in the House and to the public for my actions.”
He was reportedly hospitalized due to stress and hypertension caused by the incident.
Meanwhile, workers’ group Migrante filed yesterday an ethics complaint against Bertiz, claiming he does not represent overseas Filipino workers.
The group presented in a news conference Sheila Mabunga of Mindoro Oriental, who claimed she was recruited in 2014 by the Bertiz family’s Global Asia Alliance Inc. for deployment to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but that her employer abused her. Bertiz was not yet a congressman then.
Due to the maltreatment she suffered, Mabunga said the left side of her body is now paralyzed.
She said she filed charges against her recruiter with the Department of Labor and Employment, but that the case has not moved. – With Delon Porcalla
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