MANILA, Philippines – The axe finally fell on Davao del Norte 2nd District Representative Antonio Floirendo Jr. 

The lawmaker was removed from his post as a member of the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) on Monday, May 8, because he was absent when the House voted on the controversial death penalty bill.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said any House leader who would vote against, abstain, or be absent during the proceedings would be removed. Floirendo is now the 13th House leader to be stripped of his or her leadership post. (READ: House ousts Arroyo, 11 committee chairpersons) 

Alvarez and Floirendo, former friends, became embroiled in a political rift after their respective girlfriends fought late last year.

On Monday, House Deputy Majority Leader Juan Pablo Bondoc made the motion to remove Floirendo during the plenary session. 

“Mr Speaker, I move for the election to the Commission on Appointments the honorable Jalosjos, Seth Frederick P. vice, Albano Rodolfo T III. vice, Floirendo Antonio Jr R. So moved, Mr Speaker,” said Bondoc, who used the term “vice” to mean “replace.”

With no objections from other legislators, Deputy Speaker Frederick Abueg approved the motion. Session was immediately closed after the approval. 

Every party in the House is allotted slots in the CA based on the number of lawmakers who are members of the party. 

Floirendo used to occupy one of the slots allotted for President Rodrigo Duterte’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in the CA.

Albano, the current CA majority leader, recently jumped ship from the Nacionalista Party (NP) to PDP-Laban. Zamboanga del Norte 1st District Representative Seth Frederick Jalosjos remains an NP member.

The motion on the floor means Floirendo was removed from the CA, with Albano taking PDP-Laban’s slot in the CA that Floirendo left behind.

Jalosjos then took the CA slot allotted for NP that was originally occupied by Albano.

Floirendo’s removal from the CA comes a day before the House committee on good government and public accountability as well as the justice panel will probe the banana firm his family owns – the Tadeco Agricultural Development Corporation (Tadeco). 

Alvarez wanted to probe Tadeco because it supposedly entered into a joint venture agreement with the Bureau of Corrections that continues to be disadvantageous to the government. (READ: BuCor-Tadeco deal illegal, should be cancelled – DOJ, COA panels) 

The Speaker had also filed a graft complaint against Floirendo over the same contract. 

Alvarez, however, said their feuding lovers have nothing to do with the complaints he filed against his former ally. – Rappler.com