By Ding Cervantes — With Jess Diaz
From The Philippine Star
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=563958&publicationSubCategoryId=63
LUBAO, Pampanga, Philippines – President Arroyo will be the only candidate for speaker of the pro-administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD if she wins a seat in Congress as representative of the second district of Pampanga on May 10.
Amelita Villarosa, Lakas-Kampi-CMD chair, told The STAR the administration party has the numbers to install Mrs. Arroyo as speaker even if the next president would come from the current opposition.
“It will be an honor if we elect her as speaker,” Villarosa said. “She is so knowledgeable. Sino pa ba ang kukunin namin (Who else should we choose)? I would like her to be speaker.”
However, Prospero Pichay, another Lakas-Kampi-CMD stalwart, said electing Mrs. Arroyo speaker would be “difficult” if the next president would come from the opposition.
“But if the next president will call for unity, then I think President Arroyo is the right choice (for speaker),” he said.
On the other hand, former speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. said Mrs. Arroyo has a slim chance of becoming speaker in the next Congress.
“If Noynoy (Sen. Benigno Aquino III of the Liberal Party) wins, his candidate for speaker would be Sonny (Feliciano Belmonte),” he said.
“If Erap wins, it would be Noli (Arnulfo) Fuentebella.”
Belmonte, incumbent mayor of Quezon City, is running for Congress in the city’s fourth district, which he represented in the House for three terms before he became mayor.
Fuentebella is seeking reelection as representative of Camarines Sur’s third district.
Belmonte and Fuentebella both previously served as speaker.
However, Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone, who is running for Congress as representative of his province, said Mrs. Arroyo has the numbers to win the speakership.
Aquino has vowed to block Mrs. Arroyo’s speakership bid if he wins the presidency.
De Venecia said among the presidential candidates, Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Manuel Villar Jr. has no rumored candidate for speaker.
Lakas-Kampi presidential candidate Gilberto Teodoro Jr. is not sure if he would support Mrs. Arroyo’s speakership bid, he added.
De Venecia said the next president would have enough time to lobby for his candidate for speaker before the incoming Congress convenes on July 26.
“How can you say no to him (the president)?” he said.
“It would be difficult, because it is Malacañang that releases PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) allocations. And most congressmen depend on these releases for their political survival.
“If you have a president who doesn’t like your face, you don’t get the allocation for your district.
“Like in my case, they have not been releasing the money for my constituents since early last year.”
Even if many allies of Mrs. Arroyo win seats in Congress on May 10, the next president would move fast to gain a majority in the House, De Venecia said.
Most people in Pampanga’s second district, which includes Guagua, Bacolor, Sta. Rita, Porac, Sasmuan, Floridablanca and Lubao, share the view that Mrs. Arroyo will win the congressional race.
Her main rival, Liberal Party’s Adonis Simpao, is virtually unknown to most voters, as he has no political experience.
Meanwhile, Villarosa has declared that Teodoro will not back out of the presidential race.
“It’s very definite,” she said.
“I can tell you he will not back out. More than 100 congressmen are for Gibo (Teodoro) and more than 40 governors are also for him.”
Pichay echoed Villarosa: “Gibo is campaigning very hard.”
“I am sure local candidates are campaigning for him right now,” he said. “We will know the effect of the local campaign within two weeks.”
Pichay said that the full resources of Lakas-Kampi-CMD will be unleashed in the last days of the campaign.
“It is still too early to do so,” he said. Pichay said 70 percent of the campaigning would have to be done via television. Pro-administration candidates need the “right message, right packaging and right placement,” he added.
From The Philippine Star
Link: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=563958&publicationSubCategoryId=63
LUBAO, Pampanga, Philippines – President Arroyo will be the only candidate for speaker of the pro-administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD if she wins a seat in Congress as representative of the second district of Pampanga on May 10.
Amelita Villarosa, Lakas-Kampi-CMD chair, told The STAR the administration party has the numbers to install Mrs. Arroyo as speaker even if the next president would come from the current opposition.
“It will be an honor if we elect her as speaker,” Villarosa said. “She is so knowledgeable. Sino pa ba ang kukunin namin (Who else should we choose)? I would like her to be speaker.”
However, Prospero Pichay, another Lakas-Kampi-CMD stalwart, said electing Mrs. Arroyo speaker would be “difficult” if the next president would come from the opposition.
“But if the next president will call for unity, then I think President Arroyo is the right choice (for speaker),” he said.
On the other hand, former speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. said Mrs. Arroyo has a slim chance of becoming speaker in the next Congress.
“If Noynoy (Sen. Benigno Aquino III of the Liberal Party) wins, his candidate for speaker would be Sonny (Feliciano Belmonte),” he said.
“If Erap wins, it would be Noli (Arnulfo) Fuentebella.”
Belmonte, incumbent mayor of Quezon City, is running for Congress in the city’s fourth district, which he represented in the House for three terms before he became mayor.
Fuentebella is seeking reelection as representative of Camarines Sur’s third district.
Belmonte and Fuentebella both previously served as speaker.
However, Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone, who is running for Congress as representative of his province, said Mrs. Arroyo has the numbers to win the speakership.
Aquino has vowed to block Mrs. Arroyo’s speakership bid if he wins the presidency.
De Venecia said among the presidential candidates, Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Manuel Villar Jr. has no rumored candidate for speaker.
Lakas-Kampi presidential candidate Gilberto Teodoro Jr. is not sure if he would support Mrs. Arroyo’s speakership bid, he added.
De Venecia said the next president would have enough time to lobby for his candidate for speaker before the incoming Congress convenes on July 26.
“How can you say no to him (the president)?” he said.
“It would be difficult, because it is Malacañang that releases PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) allocations. And most congressmen depend on these releases for their political survival.
“If you have a president who doesn’t like your face, you don’t get the allocation for your district.
“Like in my case, they have not been releasing the money for my constituents since early last year.”
Even if many allies of Mrs. Arroyo win seats in Congress on May 10, the next president would move fast to gain a majority in the House, De Venecia said.
Most people in Pampanga’s second district, which includes Guagua, Bacolor, Sta. Rita, Porac, Sasmuan, Floridablanca and Lubao, share the view that Mrs. Arroyo will win the congressional race.
Her main rival, Liberal Party’s Adonis Simpao, is virtually unknown to most voters, as he has no political experience.
Meanwhile, Villarosa has declared that Teodoro will not back out of the presidential race.
“It’s very definite,” she said.
“I can tell you he will not back out. More than 100 congressmen are for Gibo (Teodoro) and more than 40 governors are also for him.”
Pichay echoed Villarosa: “Gibo is campaigning very hard.”
“I am sure local candidates are campaigning for him right now,” he said. “We will know the effect of the local campaign within two weeks.”
Pichay said that the full resources of Lakas-Kampi-CMD will be unleashed in the last days of the campaign.
“It is still too early to do so,” he said. Pichay said 70 percent of the campaigning would have to be done via television. Pro-administration candidates need the “right message, right packaging and right placement,” he added.
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