AT LEAST three groups at the House of Representatives will vie to be the duly-constituted House minority bloc, among them the Liberal Party, a party led by Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo.
At a press conference Wednesday, July 25, members of the Liberal Party said they are the minority bloc as they are the ones who abstained from the voting on the motion to declare former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as Speaker last Monday, July 23.
But House Minority leader Danilo Suarez, when interviewed, said he will contend for the minority bloc. This amid his earlier claim that most of the members of the present minority bloc were among the 184 congressmen who voted for Arroyo.
Under Rule II Section 8 of the Rules of the House of Representatives, members who vote for the winning candidate for Speaker shall constitute the majority in the House and they shall elect among themselves a majority leader while the minority leader shall be elected by members of the minority.
A member may transfer from majority to minority or vice versa at any time provided that:
a. The concerned leaders submit a written request to transfer to the majority pr minority through the majority or minority leaders;
b. The majority or minority accepts the member concerned in writing; and
c. The speaker shall be furnished by the majority or the minority leaders, as the case may be, a copy of the acceptance in writing of the concerned member.
Suarez said Wednesday that he will join the majority. Asked if he will be the next majority leader, he neither confirmed nor denied.
"I will maintain my position until the closing of the 17th Congress," said Suarez. Asked what prompted him, he said, "change of heart."
"We still maintain that we are the duly-constituted minority as decided by the Supreme Court," said Congressman Alfredo Garbin.
"You know what was declared vacant was only the position of Speaker, all other else, status quo yun. And remember kahapon we had our first session under the speakership of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Remember that in the absence of the minority, walang magiging session na mangyayari and so the leadership still recognize us being the duly-constituted minority," Garbin added.
Rep. Romero "Miro" Quimbo, in a press conference, said they are the duly-constituted minority bloc.
"We are the duly-constituted minority under the rules under the most recent jurisprudence involving Teddy Baguilat and Manong Edcel themselves. We are ready to start working as the minority of the House to perform the function of ensuring that there is a check and balance in the legislative process," said Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo.
Quimbo will be the minority leader as chosen by the members of the LP who abstained from Monday's voting.
According to Quimbo, the claim of Suarez that he is still the minority leader is baseless.
"Si former minority leader Suarez cannot be a minority leader because he is already part of the majority," he said, "those who vote for the winning speaker shall constitute the majority," Quimbo added.
Suarez is among the lawmakers who voted for Arroyo.
Quimbo said they already informed Arroyo through a letter that the following House members from minority had an organizational meeting Wednesday.
The members are: Francis Gerald Abaya, Arlene "Kaka" Bag-ao, Teddy Baguilat, Jorge "Bolet" Banal, Jose Christopher Belmonte, Gabriel Bordado Jr., Raul Daza, Christopher de Venecia, Edgar Erice, Edcel Lagman, Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong, and Quimbo.
Makabayan, in a separate press conference, expressed openness to joining a minority bloc that they said will oppose charter change and anti-people policies.
Congressman Edcel Lagman, among what the LP claims to be the minority, said they are hoping that the Makabayan bloc will join them.
Aside from the Suarez-led and Quimbo-led minority. There are also talks that an Alvarez-led bloc will also vie to be the House's minority group. (Keith Calayag/SunStar Philippines)