UNA emerging as House minority

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – With the once ruling Liberal Party joining the coalition to create a “super majority” in the House of Representatives, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) may lead the opposition or minority party in the incoming 17th Congress.

“My personal stand is that I want UNA to pursue the minority leadership. But whatever decision UNA makes should be based on a consensus among the members,” said party president Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco.

Tiangco was not able to provide the actual number of UNA members and its allies in the House, saying that the numbers could still change when voting for the next leadership is held on July 4.

“I want to give time to members to check their options and evaluate what is best for their constituents and how to best pursue their advocacies,” he added.

UNA fielded Vice President Jejomar Binay in the presidential race. He placed fourth behind president-elect Rodrigo Duterte, former interior secretary Manuel Roxas II and Sen. Grace Poe.

Asked whom they would field in the race for speakership should the party decide to lead the minority, Tiangco said the decision would be based on who the party members would choose.

But in Davao City yesterday, UNA member and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez already offered himself as the possible option for minority leader.

“I would volunteer to head the minority in the house,” he said. “We offered UNA as the minority on a position of constructive and cooperative minority.”

Suarez stressed the need to have a cooperative minority as the incoming administration would undertake a massive amount of rebuilding.

The minority leader will be the lawmaker who will get the second highest number of votes in the race for speakership.

Duterte’s choice, Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, is expected to clinch the speakership.

Several lawmakers led by outgoing Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. flew to Davao yesterday to meet with Duterte.

Belmonte said the ruling Liberal Party is negotiating for possible inclusion in the majority coalition being formed by Alvarez, a member of the Duterte’s PDP-Laban.

Alvarez said confirmed members of the majority are the Nacionalista Party, Nationalist People’s Coalition, Lakas, National Unity Party and most party-list groups.

He said they are currently in talks with the Makabayan bloc, which has also expressed intention to join the majority.

Sought for comment on the possibility of UNA leading the minority, Alvarez said it is beyond PDP-Laban’s control.

“It’s anybody’s choice, whatever they want,” he said.