House ‘minority’ fight rages on

ABS party-list Rep. Eugene De Vera asserted yesterday he is the rightful minority leader in the House of Representatives, a post being contested by at least two more factions.

In a televised interview, De Vera said his bloc was never dissolved during the House reorganization that saw former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo being elected new Speaker.

He said they did not participate in the ouster of Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez from the speakership because it was the duty of the majority and not the minority.

De Vera, who was also the minority deputy leader before Arroyo’s assumption to the speakership, warned they are ready to go to the Supreme Court “when the time is right, when they recognize a minority group other than me.”

“I am the existing minority. I don’t need to participate in the selection of a new speaker,” said De Vera.

“I had to do my job as the acting Minority Leader then, and now as the full-pledged Minority Leader, I am going to do my job,” he added.

De Vera earlier met with lawmakers and was elected House minority leader by 13 congressmen, including Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas and Alvarez.

But the partylist solon was earlier kicked out in the minority by Quezon 3rd District Rep. Danilo Suarez, who insisted he remained the rightful minority leader even though he voted for Arroyo.

De Vera stressed that he cannot be kicked out from the minority as Suarez still belongs to the majority.

“Sorry Congressman Suarez, but you cannot kick me out of the Minority because you belong to the Majority,” De Vera said.

He also urged other lawmakers to shun politics on the issue and to stick to the House rules instead.

“Please refer to the rules, and under the rules, I remain to be the minority leader,” he stressed.

The lawmaker insisted that Suarez should still be part of the majority and not lead the minority because of their stance in the controversial “coup.”

“Suarez voted for Alvarez in the speakership race in 2016,” said De Vera. “The Quezon lawmaker later wrote to the minority to seek membership before being elected as its leader.”

Suarez asserted that he should keep his post as minority leader even after the shakeup because only the Speaker position was declared vacant.