Let ‘Bitter 8’ bring minority leadership issue before SC, says Suarez

Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez on Wednesday said he has nothing to worry about over the plan of the so-called “Legitimate 8” to bring the issue of the House minority leadership before the Supreme Court (SC).

“Bring it on...Sasamahan ko pa sila,” Suarez said when asked to respond to the statement of Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman that they will contest this month the legitimacy of Suarez’s election to the post.

Lagman is one of the eight congressmen who is pushing for Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, Jr. as the true minority leader of the House of Representatives, being the second-placer in the speakership race last June.

They said tradition dictates that the second-placer is the automatic leader of the minority bloc. Suarez then placed third. Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez was elected House Speaker.

However, in a meeting last month with more than 20 lawmakers who did not vote for Alvarez and those who abstained, Suarez was elected minority leader.

Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza scored Baguilat’s group, saying they have no right to oppose the election of Suarez after snubbing the said meeting.

“Sino yun? Bitter 8? Puro bitterness. Hindi naman pwedeng leadership by assertion, nag-election kami eh. Tapos na ‘yan at wala sila doon,” Atienza said.

“Lesson number one, don’t boycott an election you’d like to win. Ngayon nagre-rekalmo, hindi kayo pwedeng hindi sumusunod sa rules,” he added.

Atienza said the Legitimate 8, being an independent minority bloc, would not be given committee memberships.

On Tuesday, Lagman said they will file a petition before the SC to nullify Suarez’s election and recognize Baguilat as the “authentic” minority leader. —NB, GMA News