Two party-list groups and their allies which supported Senator Manuel Villar’s candidacy for president are expecting to get committee chairmanships in the House of Representatives if Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte is eventually elected as House Speaker, although they have no intention of joining the chamber’s majority bloc in the incoming 15th Congress.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casino said as they are likely to support Belmonte’s bid for the speakership with talks between their group and the Belmonte’s camp already underway on the matter of committee chairmanships and memberships.

“There is this understanding na we should have our fair share of the committees… (in both) the chairmanship and membership (levels),” he said.

Casino, however, said they do not expect to get the chairmanships of the most powerful committees like the committee on appropriations considering the dynamics in their assignment.

“Alam naman namin yung position namin eh.(We are aware of our position). There are really some positions na hinihingi ng presidente (that the President asks for). So we are not exempted from these dynamics,” he said.

He noted that while they plan to vote for Belmonte, members of the progressive bloc in the House don’t intend to join the majority.

Casino said their bloc is presently composed of seven lawmakers representing his party-list group, Gabriela, Anakpawis, Kabataan, and A-Teacher.