Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez and Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat (INQUIRER PHOTOS)
“Legitimate Eight?” More like “Bitter Eight.”
The duly recognized minority bloc in the House of Representatives has minced no words in criticizing the eight lawmakers claiming to be the legitimate minority bloc of lawmakers in Congress.
The mess over the minority race started when Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez was elected by members of the minority comprising lawmakers who did not vote for the winning Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.
Suarez’s post was questioned by Liberal Party stalwart Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr. who claimed to be the real minority leader after securing the second place in the speakership race.
Though the House rules state the minority leader is elected by the members of the minority, it has been the tradition in Congress that the second placer in the speaker race automatically becomes the minority leader.
READ: House divided: Two solons battle to become leader of losers
With the Baguilat bloc planning to unseat Suarez by seeking the Supreme Court’s intervention, the House minority leader is unfazed and dared the eight-lawmaker bloc to let him join them in filing the petition.
“Sasamahan ko pa sila … Hayaan mo na ’yun,” Suarez said, laughing, during the minority bloc’s press conference on Wednesday.
Senior deputy minority leader Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza said the Baguilat bloc should instead work with the duly recognized minority bloc for it to become an effective fiscalizer in Congress.
Atienza called the Baguilat bloc “Bitter Eight”—composed of Baguilat’s allies Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, Capiz Rep. Emmanuel Billones, Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin, 1-Sagip Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, and Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza.
“Bitter Eight? Hindi naman pwedeng bitterness … Lesson number one, don’t boycott the election you would like to win,” Atienza said. Baguilat’s allies snubbed the election called by the minority that installed Suarez as their leader.
“Malinaw na the minority will elect their leader, hindi tradition. Tradition prevails when there are no rules. But rule number eight (in the Rules) is very clear—the minority members will elect their leadership,” Atienza said.
Atienza urged the Baguilat bloc to work with the minority for Congress to resume its legislative work instead of squabbling over the minority post.
“What did they accomplish? Nothing. Mabuti pa ’yung magkatulungan na lang kami. Sumali na lang sila, at ’yung kanilang brilliance, gamitin natin on how to make the minority more effective,” Atienza said.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Lagman said the Baguilat bloc would be filing a petition in the Supreme Court before the end of the month in their bid to unseat Suarez.
READ: Unseat Suarez, House opposition asks SC
“The petition will be to effectively nullify Suarez’s minority leadership and to recognize Congressman Baguilat as the authentic, real and legitimate minority leader because he was the clear runner-up to Speaker Alvarez,” Lagman said.
The Baguilat bloc alleged that the majority bloc or the lawmakers who voted for the winning speaker lent some of its members to the minority so that the minority leader of the majority’s choice would win. The Suarez bloc is said to be the majority’s minority.
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