Ousted speaker told: 'No vacancy in minority'

MANILA, Philippines — The current minority leader in the House of Representatives, Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, yesterday gave notice to colleagues aspiring to succeed him that he is not about to relinquish his position.

“I’m still the minority leader and will remain so until the end of the 17th Congress in June next year. The job is not vacant,” Suarez told a news conference.

Among those reportedly aiming to replace him are ousted speaker and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo of the Liberal Party, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman of the so-called “Magnificent 7” mostly composed of LP members, and Antonio Tinio of the seven-member Makabayan bloc of leftist party-list representatives.

Some allies of newly elected Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo told reporters privately that the Suarez group would not create problems for the new House leader and would be a “cooperative” minority.

On the other hand, they said the Alvarez group could make life difficult for the former president.

Responding to questions, Suarez admitted that he is a close friend of Arroyo.

“But that will not stop us from criticizing her if she is not doing right and praising her if she is doing right. As in the past, we will be a constructive minority,” he said.

“As her colleagues, we acknowledge our duty to help her in making the last year of the 17th Congress a fruitful one. We move forward as one House for the best interest of the Filipino people,” he said.

Rep. Lito Atienza of Buhay, one of Suarez’s deputies, said, “We will play the role of fiscalizer, as in the past, from committee to plenary proceedings. We will continue to work to improve legislation for the benefit of our people.”

He said he and his colleagues support Arroyo’s stand against Alvarez’s no-elections in 2019 proposal.

Atienza was eyeing to take over his minority leader’s job if the latter gave it up to join the majority.

Suarez and several of his minority colleagues voted for Arroyo as Speaker. No one else aspired to succeed Alvarez. In the past, the candidate for the top House post who obtained the second highest number of votes was declared minority leader.

Ako Bicol Rep. Alfredo Garbin, a member of the minority, said the position of Suarez is not up for grabs.

“It’s only the position of Speaker that was declared vacant. So the minority leadership was not affected. Congressman Suarez is and will continue to be the minority leader,” he said.

He said they have conveyed to Arroyo their intention to remain as the minority.

He added that whichever group is claiming to be the minority has to be recognized by the majority.

Garbin cited the precedent in 2016 when Suarez and Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. of the Lagman group fought for the minority leadership. Then speaker Alvarez recognized Suarez as minority leader.

The intramural between the two groups reached the Supreme Court, which sustained the election of Suarez and the majority’s decision to recognize him.

“That ruling still prevails, nothing has changed,” Garbin said.

This developed as the House yesterday declared as valid the election of Arroyo as Speaker in a session held after President Duterte’s State of the Nation Address on Monday.

The chamber adopted Resolution No. 2025, which sought to enter into the records Monday night’s proceedings in which Arroyo was voted the “new and first woman Speaker” of the House.

Magnificent 7

The “Magnificent 7” in the House affirmed its unity to form an opposition bloc opposed to the new leadership of Arroyo and President Duterte’s administration.

Lagman had joined forces with House Deputy Speaker Quimbo, the highest LP official in the chamber. They abstained in the nomination and election of Arroyo as Speaker last Monday.

“Now that the dust has settled, we need to ensure that the new leadership of the House will include a minority that can guarantee genuine checks and balances in our processes. The Filipino people deserve nothing less,” the two groups said in a statement.

The new bloc of 13 lawmakers wants to be acknowledged as the House’s “official minority group” that will replace that of incumbent Minority Leader Suarez, whose group voted to elect the Pampanga congresswoman as head of the 292-member chamber.

“Our presence on the floor to express our abstention shows that we are the true minority. We are ready, willing and able to be the true minority that will act as responsible, reasonable and credible fiscalizers in the House of the People,” they declared.

Lagman’s group of seven includes Reps. Raul Daza (Northern Samar), Baguilat (Ifugao), Kaka Bag-ao (Dinagat Islands), Edgar Erice (Caloocan), Gary Alejano (Magdalo) and Emmanuel Billones (Capiz).

Six of them – save for Alejano – are also LP members.

The new members include Reps. Francis Gerald Abaya (Cavite), Bolet Banal and Kit Belmonte (both of Quezon City), Gabriel Bordado (Camarines Sur) and non-LP members Reps. Christopher de Venecia and Jocelyn Limkaichong (Negros Oriental).

De Venecia is the son of former speaker Jose de Venecia and his wife Gina who both had a falling out with Arroyo over the botched $329-million NBN/ZTE deal where the former House leader was also ousted in 2008 and succeeded by Prospero Nograles.

Quimbo, a congressman from Marikina, claimed their position is supported by Rule 2 Section 8 of House rules and which now has a July 2017 SC jurisprudence that states “those who vote for the winning Speaker shall belong to the Majority.”

Lagman made it clear in a statement to the media the Magnificent 7 “will remain firmly and fiercely intact irrespective of the outcome of the contest for institutional minority leadership.”

The seven-man Makabayan bloc – a perennial opposition in all administrations – also indicated their intention to join the Magnificent 7 as well as the Quimbo-led LP faction.

“The LP members, the Magnificent 7, we’re talking to them,” Rep. Antonio Tinio of party-list ACT Teachers told a news conference where they declared they are trying to “explore” the possibility of forming an opposition group with the two groups.

Aside from Tinio and Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna party-list, other members of the progressive militant group are Reps. France Castro (ACT Teachers), Ariel Casilao (Anakpawis), Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas (women’s group Gabriela) and Sarah Jane Elago (Kabataan party-list).

LP president Sen. Francis Pangilinan said the 12 members of the party who abstained from voting in the recent leadership change at the House should be treated as the genuine minority based on the rules of the House itself.

“Who can be chosen as minority? According to House rules, those who did not vote and abstained from voting for the Speaker. Twelve Liberal Party members abstained from the controversial Monday vote,” Pangilinan said.

“The Liberal Party will remain standing as the genuine minority at the House of Representatives amid the recent leadership change,” he added.

Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., who presided over the session yesterday as deputy speaker, announced that the resolution that validated Arroyo’s election as speaker has been adopted after a voice vote.

Andaya, one of those who plotted the ouster of former speaker Alvarez, ignored loud objections from former majority leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas and Rep. Tinio, who shouted his opposition to the adoption of the resolution.

Fariñas asked if the measure passed through the committee on rules, as the House rules require.

“As of today, I have not been replaced (as majority leader),” he said.

He said there is no record that a new majority leader has been elected and named committee on rules chairman.

Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro, also a deputy speaker, has been serving as acting majority leader since Monday, though he has not been formally elected.

Andaya promptly declared a recess after announcing the adoption of Resolution 2025. He was seen huddled with Tinio and other leftist lawmakers during the break. He adjourned the session at about 5:15 p.m. after pacifying his colleagues.

Andaya and Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, another oust-Alvarez plotter, authored the resolution.

The measure noted that 243 of the 292 House members attended Monday night’s post-SONA session and that 184 of them voted for Arroyo as their new Speaker.

Three members voted against, while 12 abstained. – With Delon Porcalla, Marvin Sy