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Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco is formally elected as the new Speaker of the House after 186 members of Congress voted for him in the Plenary Hall of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, October 13, 2020. Niño Jesús Orbeta / Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines – A minority lawmaker is considering transferring to the majority bloc following the change in leadership of the lower house.
Magsasaka’s party representative, Algiers Joseph Cabatbat, said on Thursday that he has already informed the minority leader Welcome Abante of his plans to join the majority bloc.
Cabatbat, however, said the measure is not yet final.
“Hindi pa din final. Baka will finish the ko in the next few weeks (it is not final yet. Maybe in the next few weeks I will finish it) ”, Cabatbat told INQUIRER.net in a text message.
“I am looking for the best opportunity to promote our cause for farmers. Recently, nakakita ako ng opportunity is a nagbabago situation of the majority but of every day (recently, I am seeing an opportunity with the majority, but the situation keeps changing every day), ”he added.
This comes after Marinduque representative Lord Allan Velasco was elected as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, replacing Taguig-Pateros representative Alan Peter Cayetano.
Abante has also confirmed that Cabatbat had informed him of his intention to transfer.
“Someone has already said goodbye to me that will move to the majority. Just another and in fact I ask the others who have joined [Speaker] Lord Allan Velasco if they will still be with us and they still say, they don’t even know it, ”Abante told reporters in an online interview.
(There is a congressman who already informed me that the majority will be moved. That is just one and in fact I am asking the others who have joined Lord Allan Velasco if they will still be with us and they still say no ‘not even what I know.)
“He (Cabatbat) just said goodbye to me. But so far it remains in the minority because there is no demonstration on the floor that it is joining the majority, “added Abante.
(He is the only one so far that has informed me. But until now he continues with the minority because there is still no demonstration on that floor that he is joining the majority).
The minority leader believes that two or three members of the minority bloc can pass to the majority.
“We still don’t know anything about that. Right now, hindi pa pinag-uusapan ‘yan because we are always still busy trying to address the budget, maybe pagkatapos niyan and President Lord Allan will discuss that, “he said.
(We don’t know about that yet. At this point, we haven’t talked about it yet because we’re still busy trying to address the budget, perhaps after President Lord Allan discusses it.)
Abante also said that he has heard rumors about some members of the majority moving to the minority bloc. But he said no one has approached him so far about the matter.
/ MUF
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