“Allow critical dissent to flourish and respect the independence of a vibrant, although only a handful, of minority Representatives.”
This, said human rights lawyer and Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman as the House prepares for the incoming 19th Congress following the 2022 National Elections.
The Minority and its leader should not serve only as an “adjunct” or supplement to the Majority, he said.
“I am urging the incoming administration not to perpetuate the stratagem of the majority leadership of anointing a Minority Leader in the House of Representatives as an adjunct of the majority coalition,” said Lagman in a message to the press on Sunday, May 15.
A new House Majority Floor Leader will be elected by the House as soon as the transition is made to the 19th Congress. The Minority will be composed of those who did not vote for the Majority Leader; as such, they will elect the Minority leader.
The Majority and Minority leaders serve as the spokesperson for the respective floors.
“Legislation must pass deliberate consultation as well as the furnace of serious debate. The hallmark of a deliberative assembly is the genuine existence and steadfast advocacy of the minority,” he concluded.
Currently, Leyte 1st ditrict Rep. Martin Romualdez and ABANG LINGKOD Party-list Rep. Joseph Paduano serve as the Majority and Minority Leaders respectively.