MANILA, Philippines — Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas (Ilocos Norte), former majority leader, has joined a minority bloc in the House of Representatives to be with Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez (Davao del Norte), ousted speaker.
Fariñas, in a television interview, admitted that Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. (Surigao del Sur) assured him that he could retain his post as majority floor leader even if Alvarez would be ousted.
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The Ilocos Norte lawmaker, however, chose to join his PDP-Laban partymate in the minority bloc.
"I'm a loyal person. I can't abandon my leader so if you replace him then I'll go with him," Fariñas, a member of the Liberal Party during the Aquino administration, told ANC's "Headstart" on Wednesday.
According to Fariñas, Rep. Danilo Suarez (Quezon) has been informing him of plans to replace Alvarez as early as March.
READ: Quimbo-led faction now largest minority bloc
"They wanted to replace the speaker in the way that they did replace Jose de Venecia when they just cut off the head, installed (Prospero) Nograles and everybody kept their position and I told them I'm not like that," Fariñas said.
Fariñas narrated how he called for a meeting with PDP-Laban lawmakers following a caucus on July 23, hours before Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo replaced Alvarez.
He admitted that they could not stop Alvarez' ouster as party leaders already met and have given their support to Arroyo.
"I didn't call anybody. In fact, when I called a meeting I told them I think the numbers are underside, you better go," Fariñas said.
Fariñas, Alvarez and 12 other former members of the majority of the House were accepted into a "minority" bloc on Tuesday. Their group os one of three factions contending to be recognized as the minority bloc in the chamber.
The group of Suarez and the group of Rep. Romero Quimbo (Marikina City) are also claiming to be the legitimate minority bloc.
Fariñas and Quimbo have warned that they would go to the Supreme Court of the House recognizes Suarez as the minority leader. Both lawmakers insist that the group of Suarez became part of the new majority when they voted for Arroyo.