Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez was elected Wednesday by 22 lawmakers as the new House Minority leader during a meeting by minority congressmen.
Based on the House Rules adopted during the opening of session Monday, representatives who did not vote for House Speaker Alvarez were considered members of the minority.
Twenty-one congressmen voted to abstain. Ifugao Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat Jr., who came in second in the contest for Speaker, gained eight votes while Suarez got seven.
Although Suarez only placed third, his supporters rose to 22 when some of those who abstained elected him Minority Leader during their Wednesday meeting.
Suarez vowed to lead a constructive minority. But he also said he will be supportive of some of President Duterte’s legislative agenda.
The Minority leader is a co-author of a number of priority bills of the Duterte administration.
“We will support measures that we feel are pro-growth, pro-progress, and will coincide with the desire of the administration,” Suarez told reporters.
Baguilat and the seven lawmakers who supported him boycotted the election. They believe the Ifugao congressman is the real minority leader because he placed second in the House Speakership race.
Citing Congressional tradition and practice, the representative who receives the second highest number of votes in the contest for Speaker should automatically become the House Minority Leader.
“We feel very disappointed and disgusted that the process of electing the minority leader has been bastardized,” said Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman.
Also read: Davao del Norte’s Alvarez elected House Speaker
He said those who abstained in the vote for House Speaker “are practically all majority coalition allies.”
“Garapalan na ang ginawa. Hawak na nila ang super majority, hawak pa rin ang minority,” he said.
[Translation: What they did was flagrantly disrespectful. They already control the super majority, and they still control the minority.]
The Minority bloc is supposed to provide check and balance in the House of Representatives, act as fiscalizer and engage in constructive debates in crafting laws.
Baguilat said they will perform the role of the authentic minority in the House.
“Through the authentic and real minority, mabigyan natin ng imahe ang [we will give the image of a] House of Representatives na [that is] independent, who can offer alternative views to burning issues of the country right now,” Magdalo party list Rep. Gary Alejano said.
The group is also planning to question in the Supreme Court the process in which Suarez was chosen Minority Leader.
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