The plenary hall of the House of Representatives. (Photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The Liberal Party (LP) won鈥檛 bolt out of the majority coalition in the House of Representatives just yet, despite the looming railroad of the death penalty bill and a rigodon in the Senate that stripped its members of key positions.
The LP during its caucus聽on Tuesday聽decided to wait until the voting for the bill reimposing the death penalty is done before it takes a position on whether or not to bolt out of the 鈥渟uper majority鈥� in the lower house, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said.
Lagman said the LP is against the death penalty but it will give its members the leeway to vote for or against it based on conscience.
This means there will be no sanctions against members voting for the death penalty.
鈥淲e are going to wait for the vote for the death penalty bill. After that, the party will make a crystal clear position,鈥� Lagman said in a press conference at the House of Representatives.
鈥淏ut the official position of the party is against the death penalty. But it鈥檚 giving its members a conscience vote,鈥� he added.
After a caucus held in Tomas Morato, Quezon City聽on Tuesday, LP President Senator Francis 鈥淜iko鈥� Pangilinan said the party decided to hold off its decision for more time to process the latest developments, particularly the reorganization in the Senate that stripped LP members of their committee chair posts.
搁贰础顿:听LP holds caucus amid Senate shakeup, death penalty
鈥淲e purposely did not intend to vote today because of what happened in the Senate yesterday. We want to process it properly,鈥� Pangilinan said.
The LP held the caucus聽 amid moves in the Senate to toe the line between the administration allies and opposition.
搁贰础顿:听LP members ousted from Senate majority
The LP congressmen and women joined the caucus as the lower house is expected to debate on the individual amendments on the death penalty, which the LP opposed amid a looming railroad in the lower house dominated by administration allies.
The bill restoring capital punishment is in the period of individual amendments under second reading. It is expected to be voted upon in this week鈥檚 session days.
The LP has been decimated from as many as 115 representatives in the 16th Congress to only 32 in the current 17th Congress.
Of the LP representatives today, 27 are members of the majority, which means they voted for winning Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of the now ruling Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan.
There are only five LP representatives who are part of the independent minority, which means they did not vote for the winning speaker.
搁贰础顿:听鈥楥lear lines have to be drawn,鈥� says Pimentel on Senate shakeup聽
Former President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Ma. Leonor 鈥淟eni鈥� Robredo graced the caucus. Robredo is the party鈥檚 interim chairperson as the highest elected LP official.
Robredo has said that the LP is against the death penalty but will not impose sanctions on its members voting for it.
搁贰础顿:听Robredo: LP won鈥檛 sanction members supporting death penalty
The LP senators broke away from the majority coalition just days after its prominent member and administration critic Senator Leila De Lima was arrested on drug-related charges.
De Lima is accused of raising campaign funds from the Bilibid drug trade when she was justice secretary. The case against her was investigated by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.
De Lima is a critic of President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 drug war, going all the way back when she was human rights chief who investigated the vigilante killings in Davao City when Duterte was mayor. RAM/rga