Outgoing Speaker and reelectionist Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. will be a “responsible and lead fiscalizer” of the incoming 17th Congress as emerging House minority leader, a House official said.
Majority Leader and Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali Gonzales II, a stalwart of the ruling Liberal Party, said Belmonte may not join the “super majority” soon-to-be established by Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) to be led by Representative-elect Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte, the incoming Speaker.
“I was told by the Speaker that he wants a legacy and will stick with the LP representing opposition bloc in the next Congress. Based on my understanding, the Speaker will be the next House Minority Leader,” Gonzales, Belmonte’s rabid ally, said.
Gonzales said he could not tell yet if two former House minority leaders, Representatives-elect Edcel Lagman of Albay and DaniloSuarez of Quezon will also join the speakership race.
“The outgoing Speaker will be a responsible and lead fiscalizer. He will perform his job as opposition leader,” Gonzales added.
Lagman, a member of LP, remains silent on his possible speakership bid while Suarez, a member of the United Nationalist Alliance, vowed to run as Speaker with the objective of being the leader of the minority bloc.
Gonzales pointed out that the people deserve an active House minority bloc to serve and protect the interest of the people.
“The people deserve an active, vigorous, energetic and dynamic House minority bloc to serve people’s interests. A functioning and working one,” Gonzales added.
Gonzales will be a supportive opposition leader on issues and legislative agenda of the next government that will benefit the people.
“He will be supportive of the next government’s legislative agenda provided it will serve and benefit the people,” said Gonzales.
Belmonte is LP vice chair and allowed the majority of its members to support Duterte, leaving some of his loyal supporters to back him as opposition leader of the next Congress.
Following the forging of alliance of lawmakers with PDP-Laban of incoming President Rodrigo Duterte, Belmonte vowed to relinquish the House leadership to Alvarez.
Alvarez, who claimed that the new minority would be reduced to a “bite size” of 20 members, is the personal choice of Duterte to be the Speaker of the 17 Congress.
The PDP-Laban of Duterte has coalesced with the Nacionalista Party (NP) of former Senate President Manny Villar, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) led by its president, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, Party- List Coalition (PLC), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), and others.