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Tuesday, June L7, 2Otg

Race for speaker's Post

divides Duterte allies
BY WENDELL VIGILIA
PRESIDENT Duterte's refusal
to choose a candidate fot sPeaket
of the 18th Congtess has caused
a divide among his allies who are
aspiring for the post, accord.ing to
a tanl<ing leader of the House of
Representauves.
"There's no prefetence from
anyooe from the Executive (de-
partment), even the President,
that's why it's prolonging the
bickering (among aspfuants). Ev-
ery party has theit own bet,"
Deputy Speaket Sharon Gadn PL,
AAMBIS-O!fA) said in a tadio
t n tetvle\rr:
Gatin said she believes the
choices will be narroved down to
at least two as the opening of the
18th Congress draws neater
She said aspirants must not only
have p good relationship with the
President but also have something
'to show fot in terms of accom-
plishments and good rapport with
colleagues in Congress.
"Those things are all imPortant
because to have smooth legislative
action, we have to coordinate verv
well vrith the Executive btanch,"
Garin said.
Garin is the chait emeritus of
the 54-member Patty-list Coali-
tioo Foundation Inc. PCF| which
has been interviewing speakership
aspirants and intends to vote as
a bloc.
The Ptesident and his daughter
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte
have not publicly aflnounced their
anointed speakership asPirant.
The Chief Executive has said
he would let the aspirants batde
it out on the floot and leave it uP
to the incoming members of the
18th Congress to choose their
Ieader.
While Sara has a Personal bet
in Marinduque Rep. Lord Alao
Velascq she has not of{icialll en
dorsed him fot speaker.
The othet candidates for the
post are Reps. Alan Peter CaYetano
of Tagurg Pateros. Ferdinand r\hr
tin Romualdez of kyte, Aurelio
Gonzales of PamPanga and for-
mer speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.
Of all the candidates, Romual
dez reportedJy has tbe suPPort
of maiority of congressmen rvho
vowed to vote for him if the
Ptesident indeed keePs a hardg-
off stance.
Just tecendy, Alvare z accused
See RACE ) Page 83

RACE
some of
his iivals of allpgedly
attempting to buy the votes of
congressmen by offering P500,000
to P1 milion.
Last week, Gonzales coofirmed
the claim and said the arnount has
reached as much as P7 million per
lawmaket
Rep. Antonio Tinio (PL, ACI)
eadier said the speakership race
could be a prory war among busi-
ness tycoons in the country citing
cited the Nationalist People's Co-
alition of Eduado "Danding': Co-
juangcq the Nacionalista Patty of
former Senate President Manuel
Villar, the National Unity Party
(rlUP) of Enrique Razon.
Gatin, however, shtugged off
the bribery claims, saying theit
gtoup is not asking for anyhing
but the equitable distribution of
committee chairmanships and
other positions.
"I don't think that's true. I've
\ \.
never experienced it and it's un-
necessaty, toq
because eventually,
we do out consultations," she said.
Garil said their group wants
speaker who will not teat them
second-class citizens. . presence
She said that since the law
rcquires that the House be com-
posed of 20 percent of party-list
lawmakers, they are lookiog to
chair 20 percent of the commit-
tees.
In the outgoing 17th Congress,
nine committee chairmanships
were given to paty-list lawmakers.
STILL HANDS OFF
Malacanang maintained that it
vzill not have a hand in dioosing
drc next Speaker despite the recelt
interactions between Dutete and
Romualdez.
Romualdez joined the President
during -a surptise inspection at
the Ninoy Aquino International
Airport terminal 2 yesterday. Pdor
to that Romualdez also joined
Duterte's working visit to Japan.
Chief Presidential Legal Coun-
a sel Salvador Panelo, concurrent
as presidential spokesman, said the
of Romualdez in the
inspection does not mean that
Duterte is endorsing him for
speaket.
He reiterated the President does
not meddle in the House of Rep-
resentatives' internal affairs.
Panelo said it v/as coincidental
the President and Romualdez at-
tended at the same time the wake
of the late Sendeng I-oo Gaisano
- of tlle Gaesano shopping malls
in Mindanao and Visayas - who
succumbed to cardiac arrest last
Thursday. They dttended tl-re wake
at the Heiitage Pa-rk past midnight
of Monday.
He said Romualdez ptobably
tagged along with the President
during the conduct of the sulprise
inspection past 2 a.m. yesterday. -
Wit h Joceljn Montemagor

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