Akbayan, ML lawmakers to join House minority

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MANILA, Philippines — Akbayan and Mamamayang Liberal (ML)—two party list groups linked to the opposition—will join the minority bloc in the House of Representatives and support 4Ps party list Rep. Marcelino Libanan’s bid for the minority leadership.

In separate interviews at the Batasang Pambansa complex, Akbayan party list Rep. Chel Diokno and ML party list Rep. Leila de Lima confirmed Libanan’s statement over the weekend that he has earned the support of “a broad coalition of House members.”

Libanan was also the minority leader in the 19th Congress.

READ: LP may join House Minority bloc; other options also possible – De Lima

De Lima, at the sidelines of a seminar for neophyte lawmakers, said that during the second meeting of the minority bloc on July 3, attended by 17 members, they signed a statement in support of Libanan.

“What we talked about is that definitely as the Minority bloc, we will be fiscalizers, we will be scrutinizing the various policies, programs and legislative agenda of the administration. So that is the core of the minority’s role,” she added.

Diokno, who also attended the seminar, said that as members of the minority, they would “really push for issues that we believe are very important for our people.” —Gabriel Pabico Lalu