The administration Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas-Lakas ng Bayan is endorsing Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco as the next speaker of the House of Representatives, Sen. Manny Pacquiao said yesterday.
In a teleconference with reporters in Quezon City, Pacquiao, PDP-Laban campaign manager in the last elections, said the ruling party came up with a decision as majority of their members, including their president, Sen. Koko Pimentel, have expressed support for Velasco to be the House Speaker in the 18th Congress.
Party chairman President Duterte, however, remains mum on his personal choice as he does not want to meddle with House affairs. But Duterte, Pacquiao recalled, had allowed the party to announce their decision.
According to Pacquiao, who is deep in the training in the United States for his upcoming fight against Keith Thurman next month, Velasco would be the best representative of the PDP-Laban in the House speakership contest.
“Sa tingin ko maganda ‘yong bata ang Speaker natin at then maaasahan din para sa welfare of the Filipino people. Na itong last three years ng ating Pangulo, ‘yong magandang panukala para sa bayan, para sa mamamayang Pilipino, walang magiging problema,” Pacquiao said, referring to Velasco’s qualities that would make him House Speaker.
And since Duterte is from PDP-Laban, and the “biggest members of Congress are from PDP,” it would be proper that the next House Speaker comes from the ruling party, he said.
Pampanga Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales, PDP-Laban executive vice president, said 60 of 84 PDP-Laban congressmen have committed to support Velasco. (Vanne Terrazola)