Despite being widely splintered into five political blocs, a huge majority in the House of Representatives is united in their choice of Quezon City Representative Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. as Speaker of the 15th Congress which opens on Monday.

A key ally of President Aquino, Belmonte heads the Liberal Party (LP) contingent that doubled in number following an aggressive offsession recruitment campaign.

As such, the congressman representing the 4th congressional district of Quezon City is expected to get the support of the 80-man coalition formed by six minority parties; the Leftist partylist groups composed of ten solons; and some 50 Lakas-Kampi-CMD renegades who have claimed to have also forged an alliance with party-list groups.

The Liberals have claimed a membership of 95 congressmen.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, Belmonte’s main rival, has been assured of less than 35 votes from the remaining Lakas-Kampi-CMD lawmakers who have opted to stick it out with former president and now Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the minority.

Under the rules, Lagman, a sixterm congressman and chairman of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations in the 14th Congress, will be proclaimed the next minority leader should he get the second highest number of votes.

He will serve the first 18 months of the three-year session period under a term-sharing pact with Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, who will act as minority leader in the second half of the 15th Congress.

Belmonte, who served a short term as speaker in the 11th Congress, has chosen another Metro Manila mayor, Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali Gonzales II, as the majority leader.

The deputy speakership posts have been increased from four to six in the coming Congress. Shoo-in bets to fill the vacancies are Reps. Lorenzo Tanada II (LP, Quezon); Pablo Garcia (Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Cebu); Arnulfo Fuentebella (NPC, Camarines Sur); Raul Daza (LP, Samar); Crispin Remulla (NP, Cavite) and Isabel Climaco (LP, Zamboanga City).

Various coalitions have been formed by small parties as leaders chided their LP allies for raiding their ranks.

Remulla, head of the NP contingent in the Lower House, said parties joining the coalition include NP, Nationalist People’s Coalition; Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan and the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino.

Remulla said the coalition will also be a potent bargaining bloc for their respective parties to “get a fair share” of the committee allocations.

The NPC, to be led by Batangas Rep. Mark Llandro Mendoza, has also demanded additional committee chairmanship assignments as it noted that the party has been given minor House panels.

The Lakas-Kampi-CMD renegade bloc is also constructing an alliance with partylist groups to “protect’ members from being pirated by LP and for them to secure additional committee assignments.

The House minority has also asked for committee chairmanship allocations.

Lagman said they have proposed that members of the House minority be assigned to chair the Committees on Good Government and on Ethics, two positions that other international parliamentary bodies award to the opposition in order to ensure transparency and good governance.

So far, the committees expected to be filled up are the following: Rural Development – Rep. Mark Enverga (NP, Quezon); Foreign Affairs – Rep. Al Franchis Bichara (NP, Albay); Government Enterprises – Rep. Erico Basilio Fabian (NP, Zamboanga City); Suffrage and Electoral Reforms – Rep. Elpidio Barzaga (Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Cavite); Health – Rep. Anthony Golez (NPC, Bacolod City); Justice – Rep. NIel Tupaz (LP, Iloilo); Ways and Means – Rep. Hermilando Mandanas (LP, Batangas); Appropriations – Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya (LP, Cavite); Labor – Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo (Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Valenzuela City); Basic Education – Rep. Salvador Escudero III (NPC, Sorsogon); Higher Education – Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara (LDP, Aurora); People’s Participation – Rep. Benjamin Asilo (LP, Manila); Games and Amusement - Amado Bagatsing (LP, Manila); Agriculture – Rep. Mark Llandro Mendoza (NPC, Batangas); Dangerous Drugs – Rep. Vicente Belmonte Jr. (LP, Lanao del Norte); Transportation- Rep. Roger Mercado (Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Southern Leyte); Public Order and Security – Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Cebu); Youth and Sports – Rep. Renato Unico (Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Camarines Norte) and Local Government – Rep. George Arnaiz (NPC, Negros Oriental).

Early nominees for the Commission on Appointments are the following: Reps. Luis Villafuerte (NPC, Camarines Sur); Rex Gatchalian (NPC, Valenzuela City); Rodolfo Antonino (Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Nueva Ecija); Antonio Alvarez (Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Palawan); Roilo Golez (LP, Paranaque City), Simeon Datumanong (Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Maguindanao) and Rodolfo Albano Sr. (Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Isabela).