In wake of scandal, a stronger de Venecia bind

“I felt the pain because the exposé was the only reason they did that,” he said, referring to his father’s ouster as speaker.

“During the nominal voting, that was what the congressman were saying,” Joey said, recalling what transpired in Congress during the election of a new speaker, which Davao City congressman Prospero Nograles, a key Arroyo ally, won.

But blood is thicker than water, and now his father is supporting him. No longer compromised by his position as the chief ally of the president, his father is no longer feeling as pressured as before.

Joey de Venecia III with Lawyers Manuel Quibod, the president of the IBP-Davao city chapter, and Carlos Isagani Zarate, secretary general of the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers of Mindanao (UPLM) in a March 7 gathering of lawyers and students in Davao. (davaotoday.com photo by Jonald Mahinay)

Joey said his father even said that he was thankful that he was no longer part of the administration. “Maybe it was his salvation,” Joey said, referring to his father’s ouster as Lakas head and House speaker.

But despite the twist in his father’s career, Joey was grateful. “At least we were able to stop corruption. It was very hard to be the bearer of bad news and a whistleblower.”

He was amused that even Grade 4 pupils have heard about the ZTE-NBN issue. “I’m not a politician. I’m a businessman. I just found myself caught in a political storm,” Joey kept telling people he met in Davao, including the students at Assumption College of Davao.

“Their questions were good. This shows that Davaoeños and the people in general understand the problem,” Joey said.

He said he is also thankful that other witnesses like Jun Lozada and CHED Secretary Romulo Neri can back up his testimonies. He added that it was good to know that E.O. 464 that prevented public officials to attend Senate hearings and Congressional inquiries was abolished.

Aside from the improved relationship with his father, Joey started advocating for public accountability of government officials and for government to do something with the problem of debt servicing. He started joining rallies, interviews, forums, whenever he is invited.

He knows that the ZTE controversy is far from over. “I’d rather that she resigned than be removed from her position,” Joey said of the president. (Grace S. Uddin/davaotoday.com)