Risa hits Alan election as CA minority leader

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SENATE deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros yesterday said she will not recognize the election of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as minority leader of the Senate contingent to the bicameral Commission on Appointments (CA).

Hontiveros said Cayetano cannot be considered a “minority senator” since he has been declaring himself as an “independent” since the start of the 19th Congress.

“Ang dapat na nahalal na minority leader ng CA ay galing sa minority ng Senate. Hindi kami pwedeng paiba-iba ng titulo depende sa kung ano ‘yung layunin namin in particular situations — shifting from independent to majority to minority. In the end, nakaka-undermine sa demokrasya at nakakabura sa lines of accountability namin sa mamamayan. It also undermines the existence of a genuine minority voice (The elected minority leader in the CA should be from the minority bloc of the Senate. We cannot change our alliances depending on what is our aim in particular situations —shifting from independent to majority to minority. In the end, democracy is undermined and the lines of our accountability to the people are erased),” she said.

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She added that the act “also undermines the existence of a genuine minority.”

Hontiveros made the remark after Cayetano was voted as minority leader by members of the minority bloc in the CA.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said members of the minority in the CA are the ones who elect who will lead their contingent in the bicameral body.

The CA is led by the Senate President and has for its vice chairman a member of the HOR. It has a total of 12 senators, including two from the minority bloc, and 12 congressmen, including two from the minority bloc, as members.

Cayetano became one of the representatives of the Senate minority bloc after he said that he should be considered as part of the group since he did not vote for Zubiri as Senate president.

“Technically, he is part of the minority but declared himself as an independent which has happened in the past… May dalawang gustong lumaban as minority leader in the CA. Hindi nila ma-desisyunan, ayaw mag give way ni Alan, ayaw mag-give way ni Risa. So, Alan said: ‘Let’s put this to a vote.’ We in the majority cannot vote. So, it happens that Cong. Johnny and Padiernos chose Alan to lead. Wala na kami magagawa diyan

(Technically, he [Cayetano] is part of the minority but declared himself as an independent which has happened in the past. There are two who wanted to run as minority leader in the CA. They [minority bloc in the CA] cannot decide — Alan won’t give way, and so did Risa. So, Alan said: ‘Let’s put this to a vote.’ We in the majority cannot vote. So, it happens that Congressmen Johnny [Pimentel] and [Jose Gay] Padiernos chose Alan to lead. We cannot do anything about it),” Zubiri said.

Zubiri said he called for a caucus on Tuesday morning and explained to Hontiveros and Cayetano that the CA is a different body from the Senate and the senators cannot vote who among the two will be the CA minority leader.

He refused to comment on Hontiveros’ statement that she will not recognize Cayetano as the CA minority leader.

Cayetano has yet to make a comment.

Hontiveros said she has conferred with Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel on what her next move should be.

She said Cayetano’s status in the Senate is confusing since he did not vote for the majority leader and the minority leader, and eventually declared himself as an independent, along with her sister Sen. Pia Cayetano.

She said she did not contest when the other members of the CA minority voted for Cayetano since “he somehow got the numbers, even if it was wrong.”

“Pero in all honesty, hindi ko masasabing kinikilala ko siya bilang minority leader ng CA dahil sa pinagsimulan ay mali. Yun pinagsimulan ay non-existent (But in all honesty, I cannot say that I am recognizing him as the minority leader in the CA because it is wrong from the start. The beginning is non-existent),” she said.

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