i THE PHILIPPINE STAR

WEDNESDAY I JULY 17' 2OT9 I news s

Let's,buckle down to wo etano
By DELON PORCALLA
OPPosition i Lagrnan beloi'gl'iii+he opposition
^ Presumptive speakereagues.Alan Peter.i As this developed, Albay Rep. Edcel ' Liberal Parly (LP), whose members in the
C-ayetano urg,ed his
-co in tl" r,"gr"; y"ii*dui"il"J Ciy*uilo to fet House have been spJil with mosi joining
306-member House of Representariv* i. 1 ;;3;;p;rriti"" i,*"?g" i" the House. the pro-ad ministration majority now led
sel asroePouflcs wnen tne tdtn Longless
] by Cayeiano.
Hehmented thai while Cayetano has re-
convenes on July.22 oio-lt"J io i*tittti t"rot-t, "n" . Even Lagmanls opposition colleague
i "Our plalr in .the next- 15 months and """r"Jr" Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice hasjumped to
[;;;.i"i;;"6o,.;a .[o"t t"rf""ti"g rh"
three years is that we hit the_ ground ;#;;il;;tdd" the majority. It is not dear who would join
t"ui"1-
Iu"rInC:' ,S"
t:q11le lawmaker from ' ,,d;';li" ;;ry, one-i"oiity of his teading the AJbay lawmaker ir the opposition.
laguig-l'ateros told his allies whom he lieutenants has uradashedlv and catep,ori: U nlike in the Senate, wheri the LP is
m.et recently, along with would-be House the minority-opposition, the LP in the
iJa
Vaiority Leader Martin Romualdez of ;;d"gri;ti;;ttoStiJ"
*,"orlr""titl u"i"t o
"lfj, " ""rtL"f i, not *"t.o^" House in ihe 18ih Congress would be
Leyte - *i;*#
as minoriw leader," Lasman noted.
straildling the majodty a;ld the minoriry
just like in the last Congress.
, "We will be dorng things mucfi,faster
than before," Cayetano added. "We will
ili,-r.r"*rit tlmuy n"p. Several administration allies are inter-
f"* EJ[i",
rry,lo a.PPty, *h?t,y: rrave learned In minoriw in the-l.,o
hls cj"i-ed t]iat r.fi" ested in the minority leadership. Among
House does notrepresent
matjl - lJle closesl distance between two the ooo'osition, tlrem is Capiz Rep. Fredenil Ca'stro, wh5
poinrs. ia a srraisht tine-." "''i'I[iiiiii'i;
salceda, the next minor-
said he was still awaiting guidance from
. Ar me- safile llme' Layetano sard Jle itv leader arid his members could corne
nls suPporters.
plans to desrgnat€ anottrer batch oi dep- Castro is a former majority leader and
{rtm the
uty speakers aside from the 14, who are *'iug'1u., "'' ranks of president Duterte,s one of the original speak'ership aspirants,
chosen {rom Norther& Centxal, So:t:T
-ri:. Salceda has endorsed him tobe ihe next
led the opposition in the
Luzon, fastem and Western Visayas and minoritv leader, - With
Souihern and Northem Mindarao.
H;r;E'i; ti.;;J ioris;."r.. He consis_ Jess Diaz

..
ienilv described th"
"We want to put a depufy speaker for ;; ,h,;6;;;n"p. ^i"""ri6Uf
finance, a deputy speaker for education," ;il;i;;il;;;;;16.;
p"JJS*r* "i
l,""Jea
tt
". "
\ FAqe -s a
ne sard, other than the.House depxty lor
intemal affairs to beled !y Mandaluyong
Liemin has voiunteered to lead an
in the House under
KeP. Nepialj Gonzales 11. ""["""i* """*ition
*'H;;;'Jd";d;
Cavetano,s'sbeakership.
The deputy fgl
!l"l:" will have to that the
meel regularly with the House ways and tion of a possibli mjnoritv leader ind
,,rejec-

.committee, wlrile_the deputy {or iil

means oiu tjuor"a on" is
education will also be discussing mat- l"r,Jiirre;;"";p;"V
";;"rrfi;;;;r, union,in disguise.,,
ters with the Department of Eduiation, ' -;d;%; iil iil;Srtant reforms in the
on.rtrgher 'bdtcation arld House is ihe recognition of a genuine
:oTTo:t:l
lechnrcal Educatron and Skills Develop- and constructive leider ofthe opfosition.
ment Authority, Cayetano said , A real and responsible opposition will
not only assure a democriiic legislative
process bu1 will also restore the cred-
ibility of the House of Representatives,"
Lagrian said.