Romualdez says minority bloc stays strong

published January 20, 2012 in BusinessWorld

SAN MIGUEL, LEYTE -- House Assistant Minority Leader and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez (1st district) said the opposition remains strong despite the resignation of Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman (1st district) over a minority post row.

In an interview late Thursday afternoon, an hour after Mr. Lagman’s resignation, Mr. Romualdez said the decision to replace the opposition leader was a consensus of the majority as stated in a term-sharing agreement for the House minority leadership.

Under the agreement, Mr. Lagman was to sit as minority leader for the period 2010-2011, while Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez would take the position for 2012-2013.

"The minority bloc remains solid. We are all behind whoever the minority leader is and we acknowledge him as spokesman of the minority bloc in the House," he told BusinesssWorld at the sidelines of a bridge inauguration project in this town.

"In my mind, Rep. Lagman will still remain a key player not just in the minority but in Congress. He’s one of the best lawmakers in terms of experience and expertise," he added.

Mr. Lagman resigned as minority leader after almost a month of infighting among members of the opposition bloc in the House of Representatives.

The Albay solon, likewise quit as chairman and member of Lakas-CMD and as vice-president of the Centrist Democrats International (CDI), a worldwide organization of Christian and Muslim Democratic parties, of which Lakas-CMD is a member.

Meanwhile, Mr. Romualdez denied Mr. Lagman’s accusation that Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo plotted his ouster as the House minority leader.

He said the term-sharing agreement has been in existence since the 15th Congress convened in 2010. -- Sarwell Q. Meniano