I am urging the incoming administration not to perpetuate the stratagem of the majority leadership of anointing a Minority Leader in the House of Representatives as an adjunct of the majority coalition.

Allow critical dissent to flourish and respect the independence of a vibrant, although only a handful, of minority Representatives.

Legislation must pass deliberate consultation as well as the furnace of serious debate.

The hallmark of a deliberative assembly is the genuine existence and steadfast advocacy of the minority.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN