1TAHANAN Party-list Rep. Nathaniel Oducado said that health, not his vote for the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, is the main reason he stepped down from his post at the House of Representatives.
Oducado, alongside Pinoy Workers Party-list Rep. Franz Legazpi, was among the lawmakers who tendered their resignation after they were announced by the House plenary on Monday.
In a statement, Oducado said that he leaves knowing that he filed 115 bills that carried the voices of workers, commuters, consumers, and families who are too often ignored.
In an interview with reporters, Oducado said he resigned to “take it easy,” taking care of his health and his family.
He added that his party is deliberating on the new nominee; among the candidates 1Tahanan counts are Geraro Joseph Alino, Raul del Prado, Elmer Catulpos, Ymeir Shann Catulpos, Yelcy Catulpos, Alden Bacal, Creseciano Pedrola Jr., Erine Gale Dejecacion, and Reymon Bunag.
Catulpos, the party’s chairman, is also the founder of media network Brigada Mass Media Corporation.
On his vote on the impeachment trial, Oducado admitted that some of their supporters in Cebu and Mindanao were frustrated by his move.
“We have to stand by difficult positions and it’s one of the things that I accepted when I decided to run for this [position],” Oducado said.
Among the bills Oducado filed is House Bill (HB) 6980 or the Credit Cards and Loans Penalties and Surcharges Regulation Act, which seeks to protect Filipinos from predatory lending by capping abusive charges, requiring clear disclosure rules, and giving borrowers legal remedies against unfair penalties.
