Suarez retained as House minority leader

The House of Representatives on Tuesday retained Quezon Representative Danilo Suarez as the minority leader.

The development came after House members, in a viva voce voting, approved the motion of Majority Leader Rolando Andaya to declare Suarez as minority leader.

During the plenary session, Andaya made a motion to close the period of interpellation on the privilege speech delivered by Marikina Representative Miro Quimbo regarding the House minority issue and proceed to dividing the chamber and recognize Suarez as minority leader.

Despite objection from other lawmakers, Deputy Speaker Fredenil Castro, who was presiding the session, approved Andaya's motion to proceed to voting.

Objections continued prior to the voting, but Andaya said: "We are in the process of voting and there can be no disturbance in the process so may we ask that the Speaker proceed to the ayes and nays on the issue at hand?"

The chamber then proceeded to voting, which was only done through saying "aye" if the lawmaker is favorable of the motion and "nay" if not. There was no nominal voting.

Following the voting, Castro said the "ayes have it" and approved Andaya's motion.

Several lawmakers asked how their vote was recorded, among them former Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, who is part of the other group led by ABS party-list Representative Eugene De Vera vying to be recognized as the minority.

Castro told Fariñas, however, that the voting was only done through viva voce.

"May I state that I am against the position that he is the minority leader. May it be recorded that I voted against the motion," Fariñas said.

Albay Representative Edcel Lagman likewise asked how his vote was recorded.

"If there was a recording of votes, my vote should have been an abstention. Because the recognition of the minority leader is not subject to the approval or disapproval of the plenary," he said.

"Under the rules, the minority leader should be voted upon by members of the minority. It is never subject to the approval and disapproval of the plenary. What we have done is a violation of the rules. I would like to put that on record," he added.

Quimbo, who also vied for the position of minority leader, likewise aired his continuing opposition to Suarez's retention as head of the minority bloc.

"This representation would like to put on record our continuing objection to the recognition of Cong. Danilo Suarez as minority leader for simply being illegal, not in due course and in direct violation of the Supreme Court decision," he said.

Quimbo said they will take the "necessary recourse" to put an order in the House.

"We are the same in wanting that everything we do is devoid of any legal question. What we witnessed today not only created a legal question but in fact, cemented it. It is regrettable and let our continuing objection be put on record," he added.

The election of Suarez as minority leader ended the more than three weeks of squabble as regards the leadership and membership of the minority bloc, which began after Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was elected as overall leader of the House of Representative.

Suarez had earlier said that his group will remain a critical and constructive minority even as they support the leadership of Arroyo. —KBK, GMA News