MANILA, Philippines—Speaker Faustino Dy III said his door "is always open" to members of the House of Representatives who may want to consult him or discuss their concerns.
Dy issued the statement following the criticism aired Monday by Antipolo 1st District Rep. Ronaldo Puno, one of the House's deputy speakers, that the speaker has not been talking to lawmakers. t5 "My door is always open to our colleagues in the House. The strength of this institution lies in our ability to talk openly, resolve concerns constructively, and work together despite differences," Dy said.
Puno said in a press conference earlier on Monday that the National Unity Party (NUP) would meet when Congress is in recess to discuss issues at the House.
"He is our leader, he should lead," Puno said. "But he does not talk to the members of congress to find out what the problems are. It seems like he is distancing himself,” Puno said.
"We will look into whether we should remain with the majority or just transfer to the minority," the NUP chairman added.
"Our problem is we face our people, our [village] captains every day. They ask us, 'What happened? Why is there no help for our people now?' We have no answer. We ask here, we hear no answer. Only promises that do not get fulfilled," he said.
