THE Liberal Party in the House of Representatives led by former speaker and Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has decided to join the super majority controlled by the ruling group Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Incoming House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas confirmed that Belmonte told him that the LP will be part of the super majority led by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, representative of Davao del Norte and PDP-Laban secretary-general.
Fariñas said that by joining the PDP-Laban, Belmonte would no longer contest the speakership race on Monday where Alvarez is expected to be declared as the Speaker for the 17th Congress by an overwhelming vote from 293 House members.
He said Belmonte, who will lead the LP contingent in the House, would also want to formalize the LP’s membership to the PDP-Laban’s super majority by inking a coalition agreement between the two parties.
“[Sonny Belmonte] just called me to say he is not running for speaker and the LP will join the majority. He is requesting to sign the Coalition Agreement tomorrow upon the return of Rep. Alvarez to Manila from Davao,” Fariñas said.
Belmonte also has “chosen to set aside my personal goal to run for the minority leadership if only in deference and respect to the position former President [Benigno Aquino III] for LP to be in the majority coalition,” according to Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo, a LP member.
Another LP member, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo also confirmed the move of the LP to be part of the majority coalition in the Lower House.
He said Belmonte has “set aside his aspiration to be minority floor leader in deference to concerns from other members.”
“This will also show our unequivocal support now to the Duterte administration who had a strong mandate from the electorate and recently garnered the highest acceptance rating,” Castelo said.
Fariñas had earlier said the PDP-Laban has “been bending to accommodate all the LP’s requests” and this includes accepting the remnants of the LP congressional contingent to the majority coalition.
An LP lawmaker earlier admitted that at least five solons, all senior party members, are vehemently against the idea of LP joining the pro-Duterte majority.
“On the other hand, LP members from Mindanao are quite cautious against offending President Duterte. They want to join the super majority but are not willing to bolt the party,” the lawmaker earlier said.
The LP, the ruling majority bloc during the Aquino administration, won at least 110 congressional seats during the May 9 general elections.
But even before the 17th Congress has started, the number was reduced significantly with majority of the LP lawmakers defecting in favor of PDP-Laban.
Belmonte’s LP contingent consists of 34 lawmakers.
As soon as Belmonte’s group signed a coalition agreement with the PDP-Laban, Alvarez’s super majority will now consist of LP, Nacionalista Party, Nationalist People’s Coalition, National Union Party, and the 57 allied party-list groups.
