The House speakership race has started to emerge as a tight contest between Reps. Lord Allan Velasco (PDP-Laban, Marinduque) and Martin Romualdez (Lakas, Leyte).
The PDP-Laban which boasts of 84 members in the House decided to nominate Velasco for speaker after Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, one of his rivals for the party support, pulled out and instead declared support for Velasco.
Velasco has also received written pledges of support from 1Pacman party-list Rep. Michael Romero, president of the Parytlist Coalition Foundation Inc., the Nationalist People’s Coalition represented by Reps. Michael John Duavit of Rizal and Wesley Gatchalian of Valenzuela City, and Kristine Singson Meehan, representing the Northern Luzon Alliance.
On the other hand, at least 40 congressmen gathered in a Quezon City hotel yesterday to declare their support for Romualdez.
Among those present were House Majority Leader and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro, president of the National Unity Party. Castro’s presence and declaration of support for Romualdez diluted the NUP’s vow of solid backing for incoming Taguig City Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano.
NUP Secretary General Reginald Velasco said the fourth largest political group in the House has decided to allow its members to make an individual choice for speaker.
“We have decided to cross party lines and band together to press for the speedy congressional approval of the President’s priority bills. A single party cannot do it alone,” said Castro.
The NUP official stated: “This is just the beginning, the spark needed to unite the 18th Congress.”
Reps. Joey Salceda of Albay and Wilter Palma of Zamboanga Sibugay were among the PDP-Laban members who joined the caucus called by Romualdez.
Salceda admitted that his support to Romualdez imperils his membership with the ruling PDP-Laban. “Right now we are here to express support for Martin,” stated Palma.
However, when informed that the PDP-Laban leadership has threatened to impose sanctions against members who will not support Velasco, Palma said he attended the meeting to be oriented of Romualdez’s leadership proposals.
The Velasco-Romualdez rivalry has caused the emergence of a splinter group within the formidable Parytlist Coalition Foundation Inc., the second largest political bloc in the House headed by Romero.
Romualdez’s wife, incoming Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Romualdez, and Anakalusugan’s Michael Defensor are leading the Romualdez faction in the PCFI. (Ben Rosario)