New leader of House minority backed Velasco in speakership row

The new leader of the minority in the House of Representatives voted for Speaker Lord Allan Velasco,  Abang Lingkod party-list Representative Joseph Stephen Paduano himself said on Wednesday.

Paduano, however, claimed that the House minority would be a "balancing force" in the chamber despite his support for Velasco.

"Nandu'n ako sa 186," Paduano said when asked in an interview if he was one of the House members who voted to remove Taguig Representative Alan Peter Cayetano from the helm and install Velasco as the new speaker.

Paduano was also on Velasco's side when the Marinduque congressman and then Speaker Cayetano met President Rodrigo Duterte on September 29 to iron out the speakership row.

He said his support for the current House leadership should not mean that he and the other members of the House minority bloc would not play its role to scrutinize administration measures.

Paduano said the minority bloc insisted on resuming and finishing the plenary deliberations on the budget of 18 agencies despite its approval on the floor on October 6 by the House still led by Cayetano.

"During that deliberation in the plenary when session resumed, I talked to Manong Benny and all the minority members that we'll open session, we'll again deliberate all the 18 agencies, ganito yung sistema natin, kahit hanggang umaga gawin natin," Paduano said.

Manong Benny is Manila Representative Bienvenido Abante, the former minority leader who has since transferred to the majority after Velasco became speaker.

"Hindi pwedeng sagasaan natin yung budget.... That's why tumulong na tayo, ako mismo personally, tumulong na tayo na at least naman maibalik yung pagtingin ng tao sa institusyon, sa Kongreso," Paduano said.

Paduano said there was a need for the minority to build a good relationship with the Speaker and the House leadership in order to meet its legislative agenda.

"Ngayon, ang medyo advantage lang is, the minority, without sacrificing the fiscalizing role, balancing role of the minority, at least we have rapport to the speaker and leadership. Kasi kailangan mo niyan e," Paduano said.

"Example, priority bills ng minority, pag-usapan 'yan sa rules. Alam mo naman sa rules, question of numbers. Sa numero talo kami diyan. Kaya there are a lot of things or a lot of matters we have to discuss with leadership pa," he added.

Paduano said that his vote to elect Velasco as Speaker did not necessarily make him a part of the majority.

This, even as Section 8 of the House rules state that “[m]embers who vote for the winning candidate for Speaker shall constitute the Majority in the House."

Paduano said there was precedent in the 17th Congress where then-Quezon Representative Danilo Suarez continued as minority leader even as he supported the leadership of then-Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA).

"During time of GMA, that was precedent. Manong Danny (Suarez) voted for GMA. But because it was only the Speaker's position that was vacant, not the whole position in House," Paduano said.

"Secondly, kung ganun argument, before Manong Benny [Abante] gave his turno en contra and in public he declared his resignation to join the majority, Manong Benny also signed manifesto of support from NUP so it will not matter. At the end of the day, it's still position lang ng Speaker ang vacant," he added.

Paduano was unanimously elected by the House Minority Bloc as their new leader following Abante's exit.

A total of 21 lawmakers currently compose the Minority Bloc, which includes the six-member Makabayan Bloc.