Article posted August 30, 2006, 7:49 pm
By FIDEL JIMENEZ, GMANews.TV

It took less than a minute for the minority bloc in the House of Representatives to undergo a makeover arising from the failed impeachment bid against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

About 7 p.m., House Minority Leader Francis Escudero stood up to raise a matter involving the minority solons in the lower chamber.

Shortly after being recognized, Escudero then started nominating the names of four new deputy minority leaders in the persons of: Representatives Teofisto Guingona III (Bukidnon), Benjamin Agarao (Laguna), Mujiv Hataman (Anak Mindanao) and Florecio Noel (An Waray).

The four took over the posts of Representatives Luis Asistio (Caloocan), Oscar Malapitan (Caloocan), Vincent Crisologo (Quezon City) and Antonio Serapio (Valenzuela).

Those replaced were no-shows when the House of Representatives voted in plenary session on whether the impeachment against Mrs Arroyo be rejected or not on August 24.

As expected, allies of the President made sure the impeachment would never reach the Senate, voting 173-32 with one abstention.

No objection

Unlike Tuesday night when Crisologo was present to block the impending minority revamp as proposed by Deputy Minority Leader Rolex Suplico on a question of lack of quorum, Wednesday night’s shuffle was a breeze.

Just as Escudero was finished nominating the new deputy leaders, nobody objected, enabling the motion to be carried out immediately.

Interviewed separately by GMANews.TV, Noel and Hataman said they hoped the situation in the minority bloc would normalize soon as possible.

“There is nothing special being a deputy leader…it is just that you become a member of all committees," Noel said.

As of posting time, GMANews.TV could not reach the comments of those replaced as deputy minority leaders.

Earlier, Escudero said that they will have to impose sanctions on minority congressmen who would not support the impeachment bid against the President this year.