President Duterte is not keen on endorsing any lawmaker to become the next Speaker of the House of the Representatives, Malacañang said yesterday.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the President would not interfere with the affairs of the separate branch of government amid reports that Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. joined the list of possible contenders for the top House post.
“The Palace never intrudes into the other branches,” Panelo said.
“He never does that. He allows everybody to seek whatever position they want and let the constituency of that class decide,” Panelo added, when asked if the President will have a preferred candidate for House Speaker.
At the start of the press conference, Panelo bared that Floirendo was eyeing to become the next House Speaker.
He said he received a text message from an anonymous sender about Floirendo’s bid, and immediately contacted the lawmaker to confirm whether or not it was true.
“Antonio Floirendo is throwing hat into the speakership. He’s vying for the speakership. There will be four now, as far as I know, or five,” he said.
“When I received that message, I called him up and he said ‘yes,’ and he said he will issue a statement on the matter,” he added.
Former President now House Speaker Gloria M. Arroyo is now on her third and final term as representative of Pampanga. Her congressional stint ends after the May midterm elections.
Among the reported potential candidates for House Speaker if they win their congressional bids are former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, former Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco. (Genalyn Kabiling)
