Nkflngu
Business Insight
Thursday, May23,2Ot9
LADYS
ets, House sources said Romualdez
has aLeady won the suppott of at
least 126 congtessmen ftom dif-
fetent parties who have sgned a
manifesto.
A House source said President
Duterte has been meeting sepa-
ntely with the contenders but has
not made a personal choice.
"The President even told con-
tenders to iust battle it out" the
source said.
DIYIDED COALITION
In lier press statement, Sara
said newly elected Rep. Alan Peter
Cayetano had watned her tlat the
majority coalition will be divided
if she will push for Velasco, who
of the PDP-Laban.
is a member
Cayetaoo, a stalwatt of the
Nacionalista Party (lriP), is also a
contender in the race along with
former speaker Pantaleon Alvarez,
The mayor said Cayeta[o "was
corect when he said that he did
not seek for my endorsement when
he came to Davao to talk to me
sometime last year.
"He, however, came with a
veiled threat, that if I endotse Rep.
Velasco for Speaker,I would break
up the 'group.' And this, he said,
n\.Fae,Jr
will affect *re ptesidential elections
of 20221' she said.
The presidential daughter has
not denied the possibility of run-
ning for president after her father
sreps down in 2022.
Sara also rejected Alvarez' offer
of reconciliation, saying "the offer
was deceiving and utterly lacked
sincedty.
"Unknown to him, he was
surreptitiously videotaped when
he threatened, after his win in
the tecent elecuons in Davao del
Norte, "Ipapahiya ko si Sara (I will
embarrass Sara)," she said.
Sara, who was instrumefltal in
*re ouster of Alvarez last year, said
Alvarez "vras and he temains to be
a vety dangerous, Machiavellian
individual vrho does not deserve
peace."
She said the question on the in
terest of het brother, newly elected
Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte to
vie for thq speaker's post, "should
best be addressed by our fathet
because he is the President and
our pauiatch."
"In sum, I am only the Mayor
of Davao City. I am not the cor-
fect Person to endoise someone
to be the next speaket I ooly have
a personal bet but do not intend
to influence Congresl It is best if
the newly elected members of the
'.,q&€'i
House of Representatives indi-
vidually decide who among those
who ate interested to become the
next Speaker can truly bring good
govetnance altd positive change to
congress, to the Filipino people,
and to out country," Sara said.
OTHERCONTENDERS
Aside ftom Alvatez and Velaicq
Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales,
]r. is also being eyed by the ruJing
party as a contender for t}re post.
Certain political groups from
Mindanao are also teportedly push
ing for re-elected Sutigao del Rep,
Robert Ace Barbets of the Nacio-
nalista Party to be the next speakel
The reiurning lawmaket is a
fotmer three-tetm congressmao
io Surigao del Norte's 2nd district
and a one term governor of the
ptovince.
Barbers admitted that he is also
interested in the possibility of
becoming the next speaker, sayng
"itk every congressman's dteam
to occupy the highest post at the
Lower House.
"I'm a litde bit late in announc-
ing my bid, but miracles do haP-
pen. Traditionally, the aspirart who
gets endorsement from the Palace
would be the strongest candidate,"
he said.