After being removed as head of the House committee on public accounts, Anakalusugan party-list Representative Mike Defensor has now been removed as vice-chair of the committee on legislative franchises.
Zamboanga Sibugay Representative Wilter “Sharky” Palma replaced Defensor.
The franchises committee is now headed by Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez, the hearer of bills regarding the grant or revocation of the franchise to a company.
Defensor is known to be an ally of former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who was replaced by Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco as leader of the House of Representatives last October.
After Cayetano was removed from his position as speaker, Defensor was removed from the leadership of the public accounts committee.
Five other committees removed Defensor as vice-chairman.
Early this month, Defensor blamed House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco for the decrease of the pension funds for the government’s uniformed personnel.
“I now asked the leadership of the House, Mr. Speaker Lord Velasco, why did this happen? Paano natin pinayagan na ang pensyon at gratuity fund ng ating mga pulis, ng ating mga sundalo, ang mga Coast Guard, ang mga taga Bureau of Fire Protection at mga jailguards ay nabawasan?” Defensor said.
Mike Defensor removed as vice-chair of franchise committee
“Bakit natin pinakialaman ang dapat nilang tanggapin pag sila ay nagretiro at ang pensyon nila buwan-buwan para sa kanilang pamilya?” he added.
Mike Defensor further manifested that he is withdrawing his affirmative vote to the 2021 national budget.
“Binabawi ko ang boto ko sa pondo o General Appropriations Act of 2021. It may be symbolic, it may not have an effect but it is a manifestation of my sentiment,” the lawmaker said.
Defensor began his political career in Quezon City, where he was a member of the city council from 1992 to 1995. He was elected as a representative of the city’s 3rd district in 1995.
Mike Defensor is also the chief executive officer of Pax Libera Mining, Inc. Defensor is one of the congressmen who are against the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN and among the 70 congressmen who voted to reject the new franchise.