The 37-member party-list coalition is seeking juicy positions in the incoming 17th Congress in a bid to solidify its forces in support of the leadership of Speaker-in-waiting Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte.
1-Pacman Rep. Mikee Romero, who is the acting head of the coalition in the next Congress, said that the group has formed a negotiating team composed of six party-list lawmakers led by Sherwin Tugna of Citizens Battle Against Corruption to secure the 20 percent of membership to so-called ‘powerful committees’ in the House of Representatives including the position of deputy speaker for party-list groups.
“The party-list bloc which is close to 40 congressmen has formed a negotiating team [in a bid to secure juicy positions in the Lower House]… including deputy speakership; and this is internal. We would like to get 20 percent of the total committee memberships,” Romero told reporters at a news conference.
The House has a total 67 committees: 47 regular committees and 20 special committees.
Romero, who won as first nominee of the 1-pacman, said that the party-list coalition would like to be given the deputy speakership to give voice to the ‘marginalized sector’ which party-list lawmakers represent.
The party-list coalition in the 17th Congress on Wednesday expressed full backing to the Speakership bid of Alvarez being the best pick of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to head the House in the next Congress.
Earlier the party-list group signed a coalition agreement with Alvarez of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
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.”
In the coalition agreement, the party-list group vowed to support 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.”