A ranking House leader said members of the House of Representatives will never forget the statements made by Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva belittling the status and significance of congressmen and congresswomen compared to senators.

Villanueva earlier said that compared to senators who obtain at least 15 million votes during elections, members of the House receive fewer votes, using the analogy of comparing “apples to oranges.”

“Hindi tama ‘yung ginawa niyang pagmamaliit sa mga miyembro ng Mababang Kapulungan. Hindi tama ‘yung sinabi nyang district representatives lang kayo, partylist lang kayo, at kami nationally elected kami,” said Suarez.

“Hindi po tama ‘yun, especially where the bicameral system of the Legislative branch wherein were both co-equal … Ako ang motto ko na lang pagdating sa mga senador, ‘we will never forget,’” he added.

Suarez said that several members of the House of Representatives were genuinely hurt by Villanueva’s statements that some even took their grievances against the senator to the plenary floor to deliver scathing privilege speeches.

In fact, as House Appropriations Committee chair Rep. Zaldy Co said, several lawmakers are actually contemplating on withdrawing support for Villanueva and declaring him “persona non grata.”

“Sinasabi nila, they have 15 million votes, sabi ni Sen. Joel. So be it kung ‘yun ang sa tingin niya. Pero alalahanin nya na ang Kongreso, ang mga congressman pagdating sa district, lagi nilang hinihingian ng tulong at darating ang araw hihingi siya (Villanueva) ng tulong,” Co, also representative of Ako Bicol Partylist, earlier said.

“At hindi ko ho alam sa ngayon sa mga sinabi niya ay tutulong pa ang mga congressman. And ang plano po namin, kung sino ang aming susuportahan at sino rin ang aming ide-declare na persona non grata na hindi susuportahan,” he warned.

Villanueva’s statement was in response to the people’s initiative to amend the Constitution to remove its restrictive provisions, which he believes was initiated by members of the House.

Co had criticized Villanueva’s pompous and sanctimonious statements, saying that the senator has a record of public service that is not always beyond reproach.

“Unang una, si Senator Joel ho ay dati naman siyang partylist and masyado ho atang mayabang ang ating senador at alam naman ho natin kung sino siya,” Co said.

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