Alvarez: Suarez is sole minority leader

MANILA, Philippines - There is only one minority leader in the House of Representatives and that is Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said yesterday.

Alvarez said as far as the super majority coalition is concerned, the camp of Ifugao Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat, comprised of eight lawmakers, is the independent bloc who can join either the majority or the minority.

The bloc is comprised of Baguilat and Reps. Edcel Lagman of Albay, Raul Daza of northern Samar, Edgar Erice, Emmanuel Billones, Gary Alejano, Tomasito Villarin and Rodante Marcoleta.

The Baguilat bloc declared themselves as the “real, genuine and authentic” opposition in the House, saying Suarez’s bloc is a company union.

But Alvarez noted that the House leadership would not recognize them or lump them together with the opposition since this is against House rules.

“I have repeatedly read the House rules, and I think it is very clear that our minority leader now is Congressman Danny Suarez,” Alvarez said in a radio interview.

“If they will not join the minority, then they will be considered independent,” he added.

Alvarez was elected Speaker by 252 House members or the so-called super majority.

The losing candidates were Baguilat and Suarez in the three-way race. But Baguilat still beat Suarez for second place, with eight votes to seven.

Baguilat was supposed to be the leader of the opposition bloc by tradition and practice in previous Congresses, wherein the losing contender who obtained the second highest number of votes automatically gets the minority post.

But 22 lawmakers elected Suarez as the opposition leader in the chamber for the entire duration of 17th Congress.

Reps. Sharon Garin, Lourdes Aggabao and Rodel Batocabe abstained

The Liberal Party group of Baguilat is contemplating elevating the issue to the Supreme Court. Lagman said they have not made up their minds yet, but a decision may be made soon.

PDP-Laban forges alliances with Lakas

Meanwhile, officials and members of Lakas-NUCD, party of former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, forged an alliance with the ruling PDP-Laban party of President Duterte.

Arroyo and Lakas stalwarts yesterday met with Alvarez, secretary-general of PDP-Laban, to reiterate the commitment of Lakas in supporting the legislative agenda of Duterte.

Leyte Rep. Yedda Romualdez, who succeeded her husband Martin, said the meeting was aimed at strengthening the alliance. Martin was a Lakas-NUCD stalwart.

The meeting was attended by Martin and Reps. Prospero Pichay of Surigao del Sur and Strike Revilla of Cavite.

Alvarez and House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas also expressed confidence that the House will pass the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill. 

“With President Duterte’s executive order implementing FOI in the executive department, we see no reason for us not to pass the much-delayed pro-transparency measure,” Alvarez said.

Fariñas is confident his colleagues will immediately approve a more refined FOI version.