De Lima scoffs at alleged plan of Alvarez camp to lead House minority

“Preposterous” was how Senator Leila De Lima described the possible takeover of the camp of ousted House Speaker and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez of the minority bloc of the House of Representatives.

Alvarez earlier announced that his camp was considering joining the minority bloc in the Lower Chamber, after former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo unseated him as House Speaker.

“The idea that Alvarez and the rest of the ousted House leadership should now lead the minority bloc in the House is nothing but preposterous,” De Lima said in a statement on Thursday.

Alvarez’ group allegedly picked Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, also the outgoing Majority Leader, as the possible new minority leader during Arroyo’s term.

READ: House squabble shifts to minority leader position

De Lima warned about having this possible set-up because it would imply that both the majority and minority would have the “same allegiance to the President.”

The senator said it would be better if members of the Liberal Party and anti-administration groups would comprise the minority bloc.

“It is time that the genuine opposition leads the minority in the House and be recognized as such, instead of the same people who are rivals with the majority only as to who sucks up the hardest to the President,” De Lima said.

She stressed this is the only way for democracy to work in the House of Representatives.

“It cannot be any other way. The alternative of accommodating the wishes of the disgruntled Alvarez faction, like throwing a candy to a crying baby, achieves nothing,” De Lima said.   /vvp