Lagman joining majority?

MANILA, Philippines - Is Minority Leader and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman set to join the administration coalition in the House of Representatives?

This was the question raised by some of his colleagues in the opposition bloc after Lagman accused former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of plotting to oust him despite a previous term-sharing agreement with Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez.

Before the opening of the 15^th Congress in July 2010, Lagman and Suarez had a term-sharing agreement wherein the Albay lawmaker committed to relinquish the post this January or halfway through the congressional term.

In a statement, Lagman said “GMA (Arroyo’s initials) and her constant traveling companions in her past foreign trips are plotting to replace” him with Suarez.

He said Arroyo held an emergency meeting in her hospital suite at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) Wednesday night with Suarez, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez and Occidental Mindoro Rep. Amelia Villarosa in attendance.

He said while he considered himself to be an ally of Arroyo in the opposition, he is not “a GMA stooge and does not succumb to her bidding” and have “discarded press statements prepared by GMA propagandists.”

Lagman insisted the term-sharing agreement with Suarez was limited to the speakership if the then Lakas-Kampi would win the speakership in 2010, but did not extend to the minority leadership.

He also said his colleagues signed a resolution to retain him as minority leader for his “responsible and credible stewardship of the minority.”

Lagman said he was credited for securing the release of the Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) or pork barrel of Suarez, Romualdez, Villarosa and Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap.

Opposition lawmakers had been complaining that the Aquino administration has been withholding their PDAF in retaliation for their continued criticisms.

When contacted by The STAR, Suarez said Lagman’s allegation against Arroyo was “most foul.”

“The former president has nothing to do with that (Lagman’s removal). She has so many problems. She only said if there’s an agreement for term sharing then that must be honored. But that was sometime in November,” Suarez said.

“Let’s not drag the former president in this, she has so many problems already,” he said.

He said the meeting indeed took place but what was discussed was the direction the minority bloc would take since it was already assumed that he was taking over the group.

“What he (Lagman) did is to ask members of the minority to sign a manifesto of support. So what’s that? Of course we support him. But he was also told by members of the minority to respect the agreement,” he said.

Suarez said Lagman should not consider bolting the minority bloc. “I hope he (Lagman) stays with us,” he said.

While the opposition bloc has only 29 members, heading it would give one political clout in the chamber.

Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay, a senior member of the opposition bloc, said Lagman must respect the agreement.

She said the opposition lawmakers met in December without Suarez and Lagman and they agreed that the term sharing must be observed “since both of them are our friends.”