Heading the second largest political bloc in the House of Representatives is not a guarantee that one gets to choose a sought-after post in the legislative chamber.
This comes in the case of 1Pacman partylist Rep. Mikee Romero who chose not to accept a deputy speakership or a committee chairmanship position until all 46 of his colleagues in the Partylist Coalition Foundation Inc. have been given their assignments.
Four neophyte partylist congressmen disclosed that Romero, who heads the PCFI, has been pushing for an equitable apportionment of committee assignments by giving the partylist bloc 20 percent of key positions in the House.
Reps. Presley de Jesus (PHILRECA); Nina Taduran (ACT-CIS); Godofredo Guya (RECOBODA), and Adriano Ebcas (Ako Padayon) lauded Romero’s brand of leadership, noting that selflessness on the part of leaders of the PCFI will further strengthen the organization.
As the House continued to reorganize, Romero was able to have a number of PCFI members assigned to various key posts in the legislative chamber.
For the first time in House history, three partylist solons were elected deputy speakers. They are Reps. Rodante Marcoleta (SAGIP), Eduardo Villanueva (CIBAC), and Conrad Estrella (Abono).
The election of ACT-CIS partylist Rep. Eric Go Yap as chairman of the House Committee on Games and Amusement is unprecedented, considering that major panel assignments are, by rule and tradition, reserved to senior House members.
“Right now, we are very happy, we are very contented in PCFI under the leadership of Cong. Mikee Romero, iyong masyado siyang caring to us. Inuuna niya kami bago ang sarili niya,” De Jesus revealed during the Partylist Forum in Quezon City. (Ben Rosario)
