2 lawmakers claim minority leader post

Wednesday, January 4, 2012
TWO lawmakers belonging to the opposition bloc claim they have been selected by their allies as House minority leader just two weeks before Congress resumes session.
Incumbent Minority Leader Edcel Lagman denied he was replaced by Deputy Minority Leader Danilo Suarez during an opposition caucus last month. Both are allies of former President and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
In a press statement released Wednesday, Lagman said he will remain as the House minority leader since an absolute majority of the minority members want him to continue his “credible and responsible stewardship of the opposition.”
Lagman stressed there won’t be any change in the leadership of the House opposition bloc when Congress reconvenes on January 16.
Suarez earlier told reporters that the leadership change was in accordance to his “gentleman’s agreement” with Lagman who had already served as opposition leader for the past 18 months of the 15th Congress.
“We were just told about the overwhelming consensus to respect the gentleman’s agreement…I am prepared and ready to assume the leadership of the House minority,” Suarez said. “My assumption to the post will be ratified by members on January 16 and we will just inform the plenary about the change during the session.”
Suarez admitted, however, that Lagman did not completely agree with the idea of a change in the opposition’s leadership, arguing that Suarez was not a lawyer and all the pressing issues now are legal matters.
But Lagman said the term sharing agreement between him Suarez was limited to the speakership in the event the then Lakas-Kampi took the helm of the House of Representatives.
With only 29 House members voting for him, Lagman lost the speakership race to Quezon City Representative Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte on July 2010. Belmonte won 227 votes out of the 258 members who attended the plenary session then.
Lagman also said the House minority did not decide on a change in leadership during the December caucus due to the absence of many opposition members who were not previously informed of the impromptu meeting.
Davao del Sur Representative Marc Douglas Cagas IV, a member of the minority bloc, said the two senior lawmakers should settle the issue to avoid weakening the opposition. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2012/01/04/2-lawmakers-claim-minority-leader-post-198792