MANILA – Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Thursday warned that the House of Representatives would be the “laughing stock of history” if Quezon 3rd District Rep. Danilo Suarez retains his post as House Minority Leader.
Appearing at the regular Kapihan sa Senado forum, Drilon pointed out that Congress rules provide that any lawmaker who voted for the winning Senate President or House Speaker could not be part of the minority in the respective chambers.
Suarez was among the 184 lawmakers who voted for former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as House Speaker.
“Danny Suarez voted for GMA and could not belong to the minority. Those who voted for GMA could not become a minority now,” Drilon said.
“I hope our colleagues in the House would be conscious on certain basic rules in a legislature,” he added.
However, Drilon said the Suarez issue is only part of a bigger problem besetting Philippne politics.
He pointed out that the intramurals in the House of Representatives only showed “the lack of any decent political party system in our country.”
Besides the power struggle that saw the rise of Arroyo to the Speakership and the brewing contest on who are the real Minority in the House, there is also the issue on who is the Majority Leader.
“What I can see is there is more need for reforms in our political party system, and we should pass legislation which would govern the political party system in our country,” Drilon said.
He said that politicians switching sides during a change of leadership has become so common that it does not surprise him anymore.
“After 2019 there will be again a lot of changing parties. You know, this political party system is so weak that the report of politicians bolting from one party to another is nothing new to me anymore,” the veteran lawmaker said.
“(But) in a more mature political party system, hindi mangyayari yan (that would not happen),” Drilon said.
He said it is the main reason why he is pushing for the passage of Senate Bill 226.
In the bill’s explanatory note, Drilon noted that “the country’s political party system is centered on personalities rather than ideology and political platform.”
The Minority Leader said SB 226 or the Political Party System Act, aims to address these issues by promoting party loyalty, discipline and adherence to ideological principles, platforms, and programs.
“The bill primarily penalizes political turncoats by disallowing them to run under any political party for any elective position in the next succeeding election after they changed party affiliations,” Drilon said.
The bill is currently pending in Congress. (Jose Cielito Reganit/PNA)
