Suarez is House minority leader

MANILA, Philippines – An ally of former vice president Jejomar Binay in the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) was elected minority leader yesterday in the House of Representatives.

Twenty-two congressmen elected Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez as the minority leader.

Suarez beat Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr. of the Liberal Party, whose supporters including veteran LP legislators Edcel Lagman of Albay and Raul Daza of Northern Samar said they might elevate the House internal wrangling issue to the Supreme Court.

Three lawmakers – AAMBIS-OWA party-list Rep. Sharon Garin, Isabela Rep. Lourdes Aggabao and Ako-Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe – retained their abstention votes.

“I ran for minority leader because I have a platform, I am not running just for the heck of it. I have a vision. This is going to be a healthy minority,” Suarez said.

He refuted allegations that the election of the opposition leader in the House was a “company union,” which he branded as unfair.

The Baguilat bloc, or a handful of eight congressmen comprised of Baguilat himself, Lagman, Daza, Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, Capiz Rep. Emmanuel Billones, Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, Akbayan Rep. Tomasito Villarin and 1Sagip party-list Rep.

Rodante Marcoleta – vowed to continue their job as “fiscalizers.”

“We are the real minority and we will do our mandate,” Baguilat told newsmen.

Under House rules, the lawmaker who gets the second highest number of votes in the election for Speaker automatically becomes the minority leader.

Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez won by an overwhelming 252 votes. Baguilat lost the race but as the House rules intended, the lawmaker who gets second highest vote gets to be the opposition leader.

Baguilat won the initial vote as minority leader by eight votes. Suarez, on the other hand, got seven.

Alvarez himself and 21 other congressmen had abstained from the voting.

House Majority Leader Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas blamed his colleagues for what he termed as “estoppel by silence,” when he advised Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza that those who vote for the losing candidate, along with those who abstained, will comprise the minority.

“Yes, it was just my opinion. But it became the opinion of the entire House because nobody questioned it when they had the opportunity to do so,” Fariñas told the plenary late Tuesday, referring to Atienza’s query on House rules.

The losing candidates were Baguilat and Suarez because it was a three-way race.