The following objections to the recognition of Rep. Danilo Suarez as “minority leader” are placed on record:

1. The legitimate and authentic Minority Leader is the Hon. Teddy Baguilat, Jr. who was the clear-cut runner-up to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez as he garnered more votes than Rep. Suarez.

2. By custom and tradition, which are part of the Rules of the House, the aspirant for Speaker who gets the second highest number of votes is automatically the Minority Leader.

3. There is no need for the Minority Members to elect a Minority Leader because Rep. Baguilat, Jr. has been elected by them as Minority Leader consequent to the election of the Speaker on 25 July 2016.

4. Rep. Suarez disqualified himself to aspire for or be elected Minority Leader because he is a member of the Majority having voted for Speaker Alvarez (first paragraph of Sec. 8, Rule 2 of the Rules of the House).

5. The 20 Representatives who abstained during the 25 July election for Speaker are considered Independent members of the House and are not part of the Minority (last paragraph of Sec. 8 of Rule 2). Consequently, they have no authority to call for the election of a Minority Leader, as they illegally did this morning, 27 July 2016.

6. The 20 “abstentionists” are Majority allies since they have undeniably forged a coalition with the PDP-Laban, the administration party, or affiliated with political parties which are components of the super majority. Hence, as Majority partisans, they do not have the right to elect a “minority leader”.

Accordingly, the recognition of Rep. Danilo Suarez as “minority leader” is baseless, illegal and repugnant to the pertinent provisions of the Rules of the House.

A sham aggrupation selected Rep. Suarez. No amount of recognition could condone and legitimize this inordinate travesty.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN
27 July 2016