Saying the nation’s interest is far greater than any other gain, former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez told his supporters to move on and recognize former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as new head of the House of Representatives.

“We cannot undo the past, but we can certainly shape our future. The House of Representatives has chosen a new Speaker in the person of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Alang-alang sa bayan (For the sake of the nation), let us get back to work and move on,” Alvarez said in a statement.

Arroyo and Alvarez met for the first time yesterday following a leadership shakeup at the House of Representatives.

The meeting at Alvarez’s office came two days after Arroyo’s ascension to the speakership.

Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales said it was Arroyo who initiated the meeting with her predecessor.

Arroyo, in a separate media interview, said she and Alvarez are in good terms and both vowed to “continue our good relationship with each other.”

Arroyo got her post after getting a total of 184 votes. Only 12 lawmakers abstained from voting.

The lower chamber held a special session immediately after President Rodrigo Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address (SoNA) last Monday to formally install Arroyo as its new head.

With the battle for the Speakership settled, the jockeying for the minority bloc at the House started.

Four groups were slugging it out which were the incumbent minority led by Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez; the so-called Magnificent 7 bloc led by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, the Liberal Party (LP) and the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) bloc of Alvarez.

Suarez insisted the current minority should retain its status as the minority even as he voted for Arroyo, saying he will field Buhay Party-list Rep. Lito Atienza as the new minority leader. Suarez will have a position in the new leadership.

Suarez said he wrote Arroyo a letter to signify his intent to remain with the minority despite voting for her.

Alvarez wanted his PDP bloc to be recognized as minority with Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas as minority leader.

Fariñas took the floor during the plenary session after former Deputy Speaker Fredenil Castro moved to approve House Resolution 2025 which seeks to enter into the House records the 23 July proceedings.

Fariñas said Resolution 2025 did not pass the committee on rules, the committee he chairs, while arguing he was still the majority leader.

“As of the last session the other day (Monday), I am the majority leader,” said Fariñas.

Oriental Mindoro 2nd District Rep. Reynaldo Umali said the Alvarez bloc will not join the Arroyo-led majority and their PDP bloc will form their own minority group.

“The writing is already on the wall. The number speaks loudly. And so what’s the whole point in going through this and make the institution suffer more?” Umali said.

He added the Alvarez bloc met last Tuesday morning to craft their next move at the House.

LP members also constituted themselves as the minority bloc. The 12 LP members who abstained from the speakership vote said they are the real minority as they elected Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo as minority leader.

“We are the duly constituted minority under the [House] rules, under the most recent jurisprudence… We are ready to start working as the minority of the House to perform the function of ensuring that there is check and balance in the legislative process,” Quimbo said.

Quimbo was referring to Section 8 of the Rules of the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court decision promulgated 25 July 2017 which states that “xxx (a) all those who vote for the winning Speaker shall belong to the Majority and those who vote for other candidates shall belong to the Minority; (b) those who abstain from voting shall likewise be considered part of the Minority and (c) the Minority Leader shall be elected by members of the Minority.”

The LP members who abstained from voting for Arroyo included Quimbo, Cavite Rep. Francis Abaya, Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, Quezon City Reps. Jorge Banal and Jose Christopher Belmonte, Camarines Sur Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr., Pangasinan Rep. Christopher de Venecia, Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman and Negros Oriental Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, meanwhile, questioned the timing of the ascension of Arroyo to the House Speakership as he said she is serving her third and last term as a lawmaker.

Lacson said many are now thinking that Arroyo could be targeting the prime minister post in case the push for a federal form of government succeeds.

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