Magnificent 7: De Vera can’t assume minority leader post

Members of the House of Representatives’ Magnificent 7 opposition bloc have branded as “baseless” the argument of Ilocos Rep. 1st District Rodolfo Fariñas that ABS Rep. Eugene De Vera should stand as the acting minority leader of the lower chamber.

During Monday’s debate on the minority leader post, former Majority Leader Fariñas said De Vera was the most senior in the previous minority group who abstained from voting in the speakership post; thus, he should be considered the acting minority leader.

READ: Fariñas: De Vera should be acting minority leader 

Fariñas said that he, together with other allies of Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, had applied to become members of the minority and their application was accepted.

On Tuesday, Fariñas sent to the media a copy of the letter of acceptance signed by De Vera.

LOOK: Ilocos Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas bares letter showing Rep. Michale De Vera accepted their application to the minority bloc. READ: https://t.co/5F7nLb5fy2 pic.twitter.com/N1jetwCUq0

— Path Roxas (@PathRoxasINQ) July 31, 2018

But this line of argument did not sit well with some members of the Magnificent 7 independent bloc.

Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin said De Vera cannot assume the position of the minority leader because there was no rule of succession in the House.

Villarin also stressed that since 14 of the 17 members of the old minority group voted for House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the old minority group, in essence, was “obliterated.”

READ: House squabble shifts to minority leader position

The lawmaker also dismissed Fariñas’ claim that their group, led by Liberal Party (LP) member Marikina 2nd District Rep. Miro Quimbo, should not be recognized as the minority because it would allow the LP to control a bloc in both chambers of Congress.

READ: Arroyo supporters take over key House positions

Villarin said this argument is “irrelevant” as the fight for the minority leadership is a fight for the “genuine opposition voice.”

Caloocan City 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice backed Villarin’s statement, saying: “It’s not really about (political) ambition… Ang ninanakawan dito hindi kami lang, ang ninanakaw dito ‘yung karapatan ng mga mamamayan para magkaroon ng checks and balances sa Kongreso (What is being stolen here is the right of our people to have checks and balances in Congress).”

Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman, meanwhile, underscored that “any rule on succession must be explicit.” Under House rules, however, there’s no such provision.

Lagman also reiterated that Quezon 3rd District Rep. Danilo Suarez cannot be hailed as the minority leader because he voted for Macapagal-Arroyo.

Rule II Section 8 of the House rules states that “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.”

He also said that “by rules or by numbers” their group constitutes the real minority bloc.

Lagman, however, hesitated when asked if his group would be willing to discuss the minority leadership squabble with the other camps vying for the post such as Suarez and Fariñas’ group.

“Sitting down with them may be an option, but how do you sit down with a usurper like the group of Suarez who have already abandoned their minority status by voting [for] Arroyo… and Fariñas who kept on saying they will support the administration’s programs?” he asked.

“That is incongruous to a minority position,” he added. /ee