Party-list solon claims he is the rightful minority leader
MANILA, Philippines — Rep. Eugene de Vera of Arts, Business and Science Professional party-list insisted that he is the rightful minority leader of the House of Representatives Friday.
The group of ousted speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and former House majority leader Rodolfo Fariñas unanimously elected De Vera as their minority leader Thursday.
De Vera, who was minority deputy leader before Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took over the House speakership, is one of the three individuals laying claim to the leadership of the minority along with Rep. Miro Quimbo (Marikina) and Rep. Danilo Suarez (Quezon).
“Under the rules, I remain to be the minority leader,” De Vera said in an interview on ANC's “Headstart.”
He claimed he is the real minority leader as his bloc was never dissolved during the shakeup in the lower chamber that brought Arroyo to power.
The party-list solon also said that his group would go to the Supreme Court if the House recognizes Quimbo or Suarez as the new minority leader.
“We will go to the Supreme Court when the time is ripe. The time is ripe when they recognize a minority that is not me,” De Vera said.
The Quimbo-led faction—composed of Liberal Party lawmakers, the Makabayan bloc and the so-called Magnificent 7—declared it is the duly constituted minority. It is the largest group among those vying to be recognized as the minority caucus with 24 members.
Suarez repeatedly insisted that he is the minority leader despite voting for Arroyo, making him a part of the majority under the House rules.
But lawmakers aligned with the Quimbo-led group argued that De Vera cannot claim over the minority leadership as there is no provision on succession in the House rules.
De Vera was a deputy of Suarez.
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