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Deputy majority leader Marcoleta attempts to declare Suarez minority leader


Senior Deputy Majority Leader Rodante Marcoleta on Monday attempted to declare Quezon Representative Danilo Suarez as the leader of the minority bloc of the House of Representatives.

Marcoleta made the motion amid the ongoing squabble in the Lower House over the leadership and membership of the minority following the election of Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Three groups—one led by Suarez, another by Marikina City Representative Miro Quimbo, and the third by ABS party-list Representative Eugene De Vera—have been vying to be recognized as House minority.

During the plenary session, Marcoleta moved to confirm the act of Majority Leader Rolando Andaya on July 30 to recognize Suarez as the minority leader.

Marcoleta, in his privilege speech, argued that the rules of the House regarding the composition of the majority and minority only apply during the initial organization of the chamber at the opening of the First Regular Session of the Congress.

The House rules state that those who did not vote for the winning candidate for Speaker will be part of the minority bloc. The members of the minority will also elect their leader.

In this case, however, Marcoleta said that only the position of Speaker was declared vacant, and there was no initial organization of the chamber.

"[The rules] provide that whenever there is a vacancy [for] the Speaker, it shall be elected by a majority of all members," he said.

"The rules simply provided that this prospective must get a majority vote of all the members in order to be elected. It did not say that those who voted to elect a new Speaker has formed a new set of majority," he added.

Marcoleta also said that when Suarez supported and voted for Arroyo, he was only pushing for a change in House leadership—a right which he can exercise when a vacancy in the position arises.

"And so, it is as clear as midday sun, there is no blue corner, there is no red corner, neither a yellow corner. The truth is, the minority bloc was never disputed. The champion is still the Hon. Suarez on record," he said.

"I therefore move that the body vote to confirm the act of the Majority Leader of recognizing Mr. Suarez as the minority leader," he added.

Objection

But Caloocan Representative Edgar Erice, who belongs to Quimbo's group, objected to the motion, saying that Marcoleta, who stood as majority leader at the time, had no business to determine who the minority leader is.

Former Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, who is part of De Vera's group, echoed Erice's objection.

He argued that it would be an "anomaly" for the majority leader to be asking the body to vote as to who the minority leader is.

"Otherwise, we are already stating that the choice of minority leader is up to the majority, which is a clear violation of the rules," he said.

Fariñas also said that pursuant to the House rules and the decision of the Supreme Court in the petition of Ifugao Representative Teddy Baguilat against Suarez, his group who did not vote for Arroyo is already considered the minority.

Supreme Court ruling

The Supreme Court petition questioned the leadership of Suarez as the original House minority leader of the 17th Congress.

Baguilat argued that he should be recognized as minority leader, being in second place in the speakership race then.

The court, however, ruled to junk Baguilat's motion, upholding the rules of the House regarding the composition of the majority and minority blocs.

But the court's ruling on the Baguilat petition cannot be applied in the current squabble on the House minority leadership, Andaya said.

In a media briefing, Andaya argued that the facts of the present situation are not the same with those in the petition.

"We are not in the initial organization of the House. There is no losing candidate because only the position was declared vacant and only one candidate was unanimously nominated. That case does not fall squarely in this present situation," he said.

The plenary session on Monday was adjourned without the new minority leader being named.

Andaya said the issue will be "put up to a vote" in the plenary session on Tuesday.

Anyone, however, can make a motion, he said. "It will depend on what motion will be propounded." —BM/KG, GMA News

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