Suarez group not in the ‘minority’ — Quimbo

“Suarez’s group had voted in favor of former President and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The “minority” group led by Quezon Representative Danilo Suarez seeking to retain their status is fraudulent, according to Marikina Representative Miro Quimbo.

In a televised interview, Quimbo — who is a member of the Liberal Party and one of the various lawmakers gunning for the minority leadership — noted Tuesday that Suarez’s group had voted in favor of former President and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, which nullifies their bid to become the recognized minority.

Quimbo stressed that 14 of 17 members of Suarez’s group voted for Arroyo in the power struggle between the former President and now former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

“They voted for you; how can you ask them, recognize them that you are the opposition? How can you allow that? How can GMA (Arroyo) allow it? I am sure she will not allow it,” Quimbo said.

Earlier, Suarez said Alvarez’s group was fielding former majority leader Rodolfo Fariñas as minority leader. He warned of a “hostile minority” if this happens.

The Marikina lawmaker also said it might be “too late” to ask the Supreme Court to intervene, citing a 2016 SC ruling that upheld Suarez as minority leader, rejecting questions raised by Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat.

He also noted that as per Section 8 of Rule 2, “Members who vote for the winning candidate for Speaker shall constitute the Majority in the House and they shall elect from among themselves the Majority Leader.”

Meantime, Quimbo revealed that settling the power struggle within the House minority will be an opportunity for Speaker Arroyo to “show her wares” and resolve the issue without any hitches.

“I really think that with all the bric-a-brac that she received in the last nine years, I think this is an opportunity for her to show her wares, her intelligence, her leadership — the kind of GMA that we knew in 1995, 1998. I think this is a wonderful opportunity,” said Quimbo.

Members of the LP and the left-wing Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives joined forces and branded themselves the real minority, with Quimbo at the helm, adding that his group had 22 members as of Monday, with four more to be added.

“I think the remedy lies within the House. I’ve seen the House transform into what it is today — it’s a freight train: there’s no opposition, there’s no debate, no discussion,” he said.

Quimbo’s group wrote a letter dated 30 July, which sought to inform Arroyo that Quimbo was elected by the minority lawmakers from the two political groups as their leader.

Representatives Gary Alejano of Magdalo, Ariel Casialo of Anakpawis, France Castro of ACT Teachers, Emmi de Jesus of Gabriela, Sarah Elago of Kabataan, Tom Villarin of Akbayan and Josephine Sato of Occidental Mindoro were accepted as members of the minority bloc.

Also on Monday, Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. was named majority leader as the House reorganized with Arroyo as Speaker.

Aside from Rep. Andaya, Arroyo’s former top security aide, former Presidential Security Group head Romeo Prestoza, was also named new sergeant-at-arms of the House of Representatives.