ALBAY Rep. Edcel Lagman yesterday formally resigned as Minority Leader, lamenting he was not “the anointed one.”

Lagman yesterday delivered a privilege speech informing the members of the House of Representatives of his irrevocable resignation. However, he assured the Minority group that he is not joining the administration bloc.

According to Lagman, it was already confirmed that former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wanted him to be replaced by her very close ally Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez.

Following the resignation of Lagman, the House of Representatives officially recognized Suarez as the new Minority Leader.

Occidental Mindoro Rep. Ma. Amelita presented a manifestation in the plenary sitting Suarez as the new opposition leader.

Villarosa insisted that the assumption of Suarez was in accordance to the term-sharing or gentleman’s agreement between the two lawmakers.

Lagman’s decision to resign stemmed from the series of meetings of a small group led by Arroyo which planed his ouster.

He confirmed receiving text message from a reliable source on January 4, 2012 that read: “Kakatapos lang ng meeting with GMA. Suarez is it. He’s got the numbers. 10 withdrew from Edcel. A manifesto of support will be signed tomorrow to be formalized in a minority caucus on the 15th with Edcel manifesting on the floor on the 16th that he is turning over the power to Suarez. The manifesto supersedes Edcel’s reso.”

“In order to foreclose further skirmishes within the ranks of the small Minority and render my association with some colleagues irreparably damaged, I resign irrevocably as Minority Leader,” Lagman said.

“I am not the anointed one. I did not seek anointment. I treasure my principles and independence,” he added.

Aside from the post of Minority Leader, Lagman also relinquished his position as Chairman and member of Lakas-CMD and Vice President of the Centrist Democrats International.

Lagman stressed that he can no longer serve and lead a political aggrupation whose core ignores independent, committed, competent and responsible leadership.

“I cannot continue to associate politically with some opposition members who are closely linked and beholden to the former President so much so that they succumb to the importuning of a patron,” Lagman said.

“I cannot allow the Minority to lose its credibility and independence by becoming a mere mouthpiece of the former President,” he added.

Lagman made it clear he is not a minion of Arroyo.

As proof, Lagman stressed that he challenged the constitutionality of the Philippine Truth Commission not for the former President but because he himself is opposed to its creation.

“I filed the petition on my own to confront the Aquino administration for committing an affront against the Constitution, more particularly the equal protection clause. I was sustained by the Supreme Court,” Lagman said.

Likewise, he did the same when he questioned the constitutionality of the cancellation of the ARMM elections and the granting of authority to President Aquino to appoint OICs, as well as the validity of the GOCC.

Lagman added that he is not honoring the term-sharing insisted on by Suarez because the arrangement does not apply to the position of the Minority Leader.

He then said that he opted to become an independent as he cannot join the Majority party or coalition because of serious policy differences with the Aquino administration.

“I will continue to fiscalize the Aquino administration and pursue to the hilt my progressive and alternative agenda, including the Reproductive Health Bill,” he said.