The 37-member party-list coalition in the 17th Congress on Wednesday expressed full backing to the leadership of incoming House Speaker and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez being the best pick of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to head the House in the next Congress.
The party-list group, led by 1-Pacman Rep. Mikee Romero, signed a coalition agreement with Alvarez of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) at a breakfast meeting at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City.
Romero said they fully support the leadership of Alvarez who has promised to initiate reforms in the next administration by passing vital legislative measures that will benefit the Filipino people to effect a “true change.”
“Two days after elections, an intimate party was formed by Tony Boy Floirendo. Just two weeks after that lunch, [Alvarez] now enjoys more than three-fourths or almost 260 of 290 House members who support his bid for speakership,” Romero told before the crowd.
The party-list groups include 1Pacman, 1Care, Aangat Tayo, ABS, Agbiag, Amin, A-Teacher, Butil, Kabayan, Manila Teachers, TUCP, Ako Bicol, 1-Sagip, Aasenso, Acts-Ofw, Agri, Ang Kabuhayan, Bagong Henerasyon, Cibac, Kalinga, Mata, Yacap, 1-Ang Edukasyon, Aambis-Owwa, Abang Lingkod, Agap, Akbayan, Angkla, Buhay, Coop-Natco, and PBA.
Also during the event, five district representatives-elect took their oath before Alvarez as new members of the PDP-Laban after winning their respective seats: Ricky Sandoval of Malabon-Navotas, Abraham Tolentino of Tagaytay, Roy Loyola of Cavite, Estrelita Suansing of Nueva Ecija, Along Malapitan of Caloocan, and Bingbong Crisologo of Quezon City.
In the coalition agreement, the party-list group “manifested its support to the next Speaker, Pantaleon Alvarez, who promised fair and equitable distribution of positions including committee chairpersonships to the coalition.”
The agreement also pointed out that the “coalition has expressed its support to the incoming Duterte administration by vowing to constructively cooperate in pushing for its legislative agenda in the House of Representatives.”
Alvarez, for his part, vowed to give a “fair and equitable distribution” of committee leadership to members of the coalition.
Alvarez also thanked the party-list coalition led by Romero for their
support to the Duterte administration.
“I sincerely thank you for your support for Duterte administration. We have gargantuan task ahead of us. Mahirap po na gawin ito kaya sama-sama tayo para sa real change. We will do it,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez said the Duterte administration will prioritize the restroration of the death penalty, the revision of the 1987 Constitution to change the country’s government from unitary to federal and the amendment to the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, among others.