Quezon’s Danilo Suarez elected House minority leader

Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez has been elected minority leader of the House of Representatives in a meeting attended by those who didn't vote for Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

Suarez garnered 22 votes during an election held Wednesday at the House of Representatives, in which 25 out of the 39 minority lawmakers participated.

Isabela Rep. Ma. Lourdes Aggabao, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe and AAMBIS-OWA party-list Rep. Sharon Garin abstained from voting.

The election of a minority leader took place despite the insistence of Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat that he should be recognized as the rightful minority leader  bbecause he placed second to Alvarez in the speakership race.

Baguilat got eight votes while Suarez received seven.

In previous Congresses, the candidate who got the second highest number of votes in the election for speaker was recognized as the minority leader.

Suarez voted for Alvarez

At the onset of the meeting, Suarez explained that he voted for Alvarez because “tradition” dictated that a candidate for Speaker does not vote for himself.

The Quezon lawmaker said he wrote to Alvarez after the first session of Congress to inform him of his intent to be part of the minority even if he was part of the 251 lawmakers who chose the Speaker.

Suarez handily won the election for minority leader because he was the sole nominee for the post.

Those who voted for the Quezon lawmaker were himself, Reps. Lito Atienza, Luis Campos, Monsour del Rosario, Harry Roque, Delphine Lee, Orestes Salon and Anna Villaraza Suarez, Harlin Abayon, Arlene Arcillas, Jopseh Bernos, Oscar Garbin, Abigail Ferriol-Pascual, Amanda Bagatsing, Aniceto Bertiz, Arnel Cerafica, Eugene de Vera, Anthony Bravo and Julieta Cortuna.

Following his proclamation by his colleagues as House leader, Suarez said he will “surely approach” Baguilat and one of his allies, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman.

“Teddy is a good friend,” he said of the Ifugao lawmaker.

Suarez said he will deliver the minority leader’s traditional “contra SONA” or response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address on August 1. —ALG, GMA News