House factions fight for ‘real’ minority
MANILA— The confusion at the House of Representatives continues as factions of legislators contend for recognition of the chamber’s official minority bloc.
Liberal Party lawmakers and the bloc of Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez (Davao del Norte), erstwhile House speaker, are laying claim to constituting the minority bloc, which is supposed to be a check on the powerful majority.
The separate sevenmember Makabayan bloc said that while it is “willing and able” to take on the leadership of the House minority, it is also ready to tie up with other groups to oppose the Duterte administration’s “antipeople” agenda.
Under the House’s rules “Members who vote for the winning candidate for speaker shall constitute the majority in the House and they shall elect from among themselves the majority leader… The minority leader shall be elected by the members of the minority and can be changed, at any time, by a majority vote of all the minority members.”
Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said that she would let the minority lawmakers settle the issue of minority leadership among themselves.
The duly-recognized minority has representation in committees while lawmakers who are considered independents do not.
‘DULY-CONSTITUTED MINORITY’
On Wednesday, 12 lawmakers from the Liberal Party declared they were the “duly-constituted minority.” —