Zamora gets activists’ nod

San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora inched closer to the House minority leadership after getting the support yesterday of the seven-member Makabayan bloc.

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said the activist group picked Zamora, not Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, because it had “more agreements on issues” with the San Juan congressman.

He said Romualdez’s affiliation with the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo were a factor “seriously considered.”

Both Zamora and Romualdez are banking on the support of the seven-member Makabayan bloc. That’s why yesterday’s Makabayan meeting was crucial and was tightly watched by both camps, the Inquirer was told.

Former Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, whose Lakas-CMD party is pushing for Romualdez, said his group had its own meeting to gauge who among the two contenders had the numbers.

A few days ago, Suarez said it looked like Romualdez was leading  Zamora by one or two votes among minority bloc members—but they were still awaiting word on the seven Makabayan votes.

In a separate interview, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco said both camps  did not want two minority contenders running for the speakership when the 16th Congress opens tomorrow.

“That’s what they’re trying to avoid,” he told the Inquirer by phone.

With Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte expected to be elected Speaker once again, the losing contender will then become the leader of the House minority.

In the case of representatives belonging to Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), all but Tiangco opted to join the majority.

“In my case, I will be an independent,” Tiangco said.

That means that 10 other UNA representatives, such as Saranggani’s Manny Pacquiao and Laguna’s Sol Aragones, will be backing the candidacy of Belmonte for Speaker.

In the Senate, however, UNA senators will form the minority bloc led by former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.