OUSTED House of Representatives Speaker Jose C. de Venecia, Jr. said he is now savoring a newfound freedom that he did not know he had been longing for all thru these times.

“I now feel free from the clutches of Malacanang, (enjoying) what you call freedom from fear, freedom from stress, freedom from too many problems and freedom fromanxiety,” he said in an early morning patch phone interview over Bombo Radyo
Dagupan, from his Makati residence.

As of last week, his provincemates in the fourth district led by local executives are preparing to meet him anytime this week when he comes home, saying their love and respect for their congressman has remained undiminished despite the event of last week in Congress.

In the Bombo Radyo interview, De Venecia said he now feels well because many problems of the nation have been removed from his shoulder, not to mention the energy-sapping political intramurals besetting his former post.

De Venecia said he can now concentrate on his battle against corruption which, he said, is now winning much support from both the church and civil society.

The congressman, now pushing 70 years, said his wife, Gina and sons Joey and Christopher now all feel very good having gone through the most difficult challenge of his career.

He said he takes pride in having been elected five times as Speaker of the House,an unprecedented achievement in the political history of the country.

The nominal voting held in the House last February 4 resulted in De Venecia’s tumultuous unseating after 174 congressmen – 56 of them from his own Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats – voted yes to a motion by Rep. Abraham Mitra of Palawan to declare the position of Speaker vacant. Only 35 voted no to the motion.