THE Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed the petition filed by a group of lawmakers seeking to resolve the issue on who should comprise the “authentic minority bloc” in the House of Representatives.
At a news briefing on Tuesday, SC Spokesman Theodore O. Te said the 15-man High Tribunal unanimously dismissed the petition for mandamus filed by lawmakers Reps. Edcel C. Lagman of the First District of Albay, Teddy Baguilat Jr. of Ifugao, Raul A. Daza of the First District of Northern Samar, Edgar C. Erice of Caloocan City, Emmanuel A. Billones of the First District of Capiz, Tom S. Villarin of Akbayan Party-list and Gary C. Alejano of Magdalo Party-list.
The decision was penned by Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe.
“The Court, per Bernabe, J. and voting unanimously, dismissed the petition for mandamus for the reason that petitioners were not entitled to the reliefs sought; however, the Court emphasizes that the dismissal of this petition is without prejudice to any other controversy involving the internal rules of the House of the Representatives presented in a proper case seeking judicial review,” the Court said.
The petition asked the SC to compel the respondents to recognize Baguilat as the runner-up to House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez in the speakership race on July 25. Baguilat got eight votes against Rep. Danilo E. Suarez’s of the Third District of Quezon’s seven, thus, giving him the minority leadership.
The petitioners insisted that Baguilat was entitled to “the long unbroken tradition of the House of Representatives, wherein the clear second placer in the speakership contest automatically becomes and is recognized as minority leader.
The “minority bloc” claimed that two days after the voting, the congressmen who voted for Suarez as Speaker and those who abstained convened to elect Suarez as the minority leader.
The petitioners pointed out that Suarez himself voted for Alvarez, which technically makes him part of the majority bloc.
The petitioners noted that those who voted for Suarez in that caucus were “pseudo-minority members who were directed by the leadership of the supermajority to beef up the small group of Suarez by first abstaining in the election for Speaker and then convening to elect Suarez as minority leader.”
Named respondents were House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez III, House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, and Rep. Danilo Suarez, who had been “elected” the minority leader.