FORMER House majority leader Rodolfo Fariñas belied reports that he is vying to be the next minority leader, saying he does not want it as he is set to retire in 2019.
But he said the decision would still be up to the minority bloc and Representative Eugene De Vera.
Fariñas earlier said that Quezon Representative Danilo Suarez, the minority leader under former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, and the other members of the minority bloc who voted for Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to be House Speaker are no longer part of the minority.
De Vera is now the acting minority leader, as he is the only high-ranking member of the minority who did not vote for Arroyo.
Fariñas said the duly-constituted minority bloc is still the Suarez-led group.
Apart from Suarez's group, a Liberal Party-led minority bloc with its elected minority leader Marikina Representative Miro Quimbo also wants to be recognized as the House's minority bloc.
The impasse on the battle for the House minority post has yet to be settled by members of the lower house.
Fariñas, meanwhile, said he does not hold a grudge against lawmakers who were behind the ouster of Alvarez.
Alvarez was ousted as House Speaker after the third State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte on July 23. He was replaced by Arroyo.
READ: House installs Arroyo as new Speaker
Fariñas said he also does not feel betrayed.
"I've been in politics for a very long time and I'm retiring next year," he said. "I know how politics is. Politics is the art of the possible and if it's possible, it means you meet the kindest and cruelest of persons."
He said there had been talks to oust Alvarez since March, adding that he refused to join the congressmen who were then plotting Alvarez's ouster, as he is loyal to him.
"Nung March pa nilalapitan na ko... palitan lang speaker and everything will be as is. Ako pa rin majority leader. I said hello no. I'm sorry, loyal ako na person eh. I am majority leader of Speaker Alvarez, I will be majority leader to him only and hindi ako papayag sa ganyan," Fariñas said.
He said he also talked to Alvarez about the ouster plot and met with President Duterte.
He said Duterte then expressed his confidence to Alvarez's leadership.
"Sabi ni President, 'Bakit? wala naman kami problema ni Bebot.' In fact, he said, 'invite everybody dun sa birthday ni (Marinduque Representative) Lord (Allan) Velasco on April 5 para sabihin ko na si Bebot pa rin Speaker,' and that is what happened," he said.
Aside from Alvarez, Fariñas was also removed as majority leader during the House coup. He was replaced by Camarines Sur first district Representative Rolando Andaya. (SunStar Philippines)