Minority members huddle on House leadership issue

House minority members were scheduled to meet last night to discuss issues including the leadership of the next House of Representatives and the non-renewal of Peter Towai’s employment contract with the Legislative Bureau.

Rep. Ramon Tebuteb, spokesperson for the minority bloc, said the incumbent representatives belonging to the Republican Party would have an informal gathering Thursday evening.

Those expected to attend are Reps. Martin Ada, Joseph Deleon Guerrero, Benjamin Seman, Arnold Palacios, and Tebuteb.

The five incumbents will be joined by their fellow Republicans Manuel Tenorio and Candido Taman in the 15th House of Representatives, which will assume office on Jan. 9, 2006.

Tebuteb said the party is pushing House Minority Leader Palacios to be the next speaker.

The Covenant Party, which currently controls the House of Representatives, will also have seven members in the 15th House. They are Cinta Kaipat, Oscar Babauta, Jesus Lizama, Francisco Dela Cruz, Absalon Waki Jr., Edwin Aldan, and Crispin Ogo.

However, the party’s number could increase up to 10 if former Covenant Party member Ray Yumul and Democrats Justo Quitugua and Florencio Deleon Guerrero align with the Covenant Party.

Yumul, who is in active military duty, ran as an independent in the 2005 election because the U.S. Army prohibits servicemen from having any political affiliation.

Quitugua, currently the only Democrat in the House, has an alliance with the Covenant Party. It is not known if Deleon Guerrero, the only other Democrat in the 15th House, will join Quitugua.

The only remaining member of the incoming House, Stanley Torres, had aligned himself with the Republican Party during his previous terms as congressman.

Tebuteb also said that the House minority bloc would discuss the case of Towai, the Legislative Bureau employee whose contract was not renewed. Towai, an Army Reserve member, is currently in active duty in Iraq.

“We’re still pursuing that. We’re trying to see what else we can do. It’s really up to the leadership. We hope they will at least give us something other than the vice speaker’s report,” Tebuteb said.

Vice Speaker Timothy Villagomez, who had been assigned by House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial to investigate the Legislative Bureau’s decision, had maintained that the non-renewal of Peter Towai’s contract was justified.

Towai’s contract expired on Sept. 30, 2005.

“The contract is not automatically renewable nor does it create any option to renew the contract,” Villagomez had said. “Additionally, the contract does not require the bureau to give Mr. Towai notice of non-renewal of his employment contract. As a courtesy to Mr. Towai, the acting director sent a letter informing Mr. Towai that his employment contract will not be renewed upon its expiration.”