By Emmanuel T. Erediano
& Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

THE Republican Party’s Precint IV club officers and members do not recognize the validity of the amendments to the party bylaws passed on Tuesday, according to precinct chairman Luis Q. Kapileo.
Expressing disappointment with how GOP President Tom Pangelinan conducted the meeting, Kapileo said even if the central committee starts implementing the amendments, Precinct IV will continue to act in accordance with the bylaws which were, he says, “disrespected.”
“They took away the right of the precincts to choose their officers and candidates,” Kapileo said.
During Thursday’s meeting, some party members shouted at Pangelinan because, according to Kapileo, the GOP president was not following parliamentary procedures.
The vote on the proposed amendment should have been done through balloting, Kapileo said.
He reiterated that the Precinct IV club’s selection of two candidates for the House of Representatives on Jan. 4 was done according to GOP bylaws.
During that meeting, the club did not nominate Rep. Candido B. Taman for a second term, but instead named Sylvestre Iguel and Barbara Yamada to be the party’s House candidates.
Kapileo said the passage of the amendments during Thursday’s meeting was done “improperly,”
He said Pangelinan did not allow sufficient discussion on the issue.
He accused the GOP president of railroading the amendments.
“He was not presiding — he was deciding for the general membership,” Kapileo said.
Precinct IV club vice chairwoman Alice Igitol said they are “pretty upset” with how the amendments were approved on Thursday.
But party spokesman Kimo Rosario said the amendments only aim to ensure equal representation of the GOP’s general membership at the precinct-level.
The amendments, he added, will also “empower” the precinct clubs by giving them additional authority over precinct matters.
One of the amendments states that precinct clubs “will select and nominate professional qualified, and competent individuals to represent the Republican Party in the House of Representatives and submit the nominations to the (party’s) board of directors for endorsement.”
Rosario said the amendments to the bylaws were the result of consultation with the members.