Libanan formally elected House minority leader

 

MANILA, Philippines — 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan has been formally elected as the House of Representatives’ Minority Leader, after a motion to install him was not opposed by lawmakers present.

During the plenary session on Tuesday, Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos moved to allow Caloocan 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice to make a manifestation.

After the move was allowed by House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez who presided over the session, Erice announced that Libanan was unanimously elected by all 30 members of the Minority.

“We maintain that the leadership of the Minority should be given to a person who has sufficient experience, a high regard for the dignity of public service, and someone who has no other goal but for the betterment of our institutions and the people,” Erice said.

“Because of this, all 30 members of the Minority unanimously — no one objected or abstained — our trust and support to a veteran lawmaker, silent and gentle, honest, none other than the representative of the 4Ps party-list, the Honorable Marcelino ‘Nonoy’ Libanan as the Minority Leader,” he added.

As early as Monday, members of the Minority have already announced that they picked Libanan — also Minority leader of the 19th Congress — to head the Minority bloc.

Among the members of the Minority are:

– Rep. Edgar Erice – Philreca party-list Rep. Presley De Jesus – APEC party-list Rep. Sergio Dagooc – 4Ps party-list Rep. Jonathan Clement Abalos II – Samar 1st District Rep. Stephen James Tan – Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila De Lima – Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña – ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio – Quezon City 4th District Jesus Suntay – Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Gonzales – Akbayan party-list Rep. Jose Manuel Diokno – Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Louise Co – Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Roberto Gerard Nazal Jr. – Pusong Pinoy party-list Rep. Jernie Jett Nisay – Northern Samar 1st District Rep. Niko Raul Daza – LPGMA party-list Rep. Allan Ty – Albay 1st District Rep. Cielo Krisel Lagman-Luistro – Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon – Dinagat Islands party-list Rep. Arlene Bag-ao – Akbayan party-list Rep. Dadah Kiram Ismula – Kamanggagawa party-list Rep. Elijah San Fernando – Galing sa Puso party-list Rep. Jan Rurik Padiernos – Nanay party-list Rep. Florabel Yatco – Swerte party-list Rep. Arlyn Ayon – Agap party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones – Bukidnon 3rd District Rep. Audrey Zubiri – Samar 2nd District Rep. Reynolds Michael Tan – Cebu City 1st District Rep. Rachel Marguerite Del Mar – Sagip party-list Rep. Paolo Henry Marcoleta

The Minority is composed of lawmakers who abstained from voting for Romualdez as Speaker. All in all, there are 34 lawmakers who abstained from voting for Romualdez, but the other four — Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, Bacolod Rep. Albee Benitez, Cebu 5th District Rep. Vincent Franco Frasco, and Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab have all said that they will neither join the Majority nor the Minority.

READ: Minority bloc expands, new independent groups emerge in 20th Congress 

According to Erice, the Minority will be part of lively discussions on bills and measures discussed at the plenary, but would not be obstructionists or hindrance to progress.  /gsg