Several groups yesterday challenged former House Speaker Jose de Venecia to make good his promise and threat to expose corruption in the Arroyo administration.

De Venecia, the main prop of the administration against impeachment attempts now becomes a recruit of the political opposition, Renato Magtubo, Partido ng Manggagawa chairperson, said.

“The people now expect him to redeem his sins and tell all about his political romance with GMA,” he said.

De Venecia's allies in the House would not give him another day to prepare a privilege speech but the people will grant him another year to reveal all the secrets he knows about corruption in government, Magtubo said.

“We are challenging JdV to also break away from the ruling coalition and tell all,” Felipe Levy Gelle, Bayan Negros secretary general, also said yesterday.

We are challenging him to reveal what he knows, he was close to GMA and has inside information, especially on the 2004 elections, Gelle said.

“He should follow up on his threat and the people will support him,” Gelle said.

The shameless and self-serving maneuvers by Malacañang to tighten its control over Congress with the ouster of JDV as speaker of the House may be a prelude to worse things to come, he said.

“The Arroyo mafia will not stop with just replacing Jose de Venecia. They intend to quash any and all attempts to uncover corruption scandals,” he added.

“There have been many warnings that the de Venecia ouster is just a prelude to the real plan of charter change. With the Lower House more Palace-friendly than before, expect cha-cha moves to escalate in the coming weeks,” Gelle said.

“If he can't get a fair hearing in the House he once headed, ousted Speaker Jose de Venecia is most welcome to spill the beans in the chamber he worked so hard to abolish,” Senator Francis Escudero said.

"If he needs a venue, as the House now appears to be hostile territory to him, he will find a cordial place in the Senate to make his confessions," Escudero said.*CPG

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