ffi3l".

ss Instght
Thursday, May 30, 2019

Speakership in the bug for Romualdez?

BY WEI{DELL VIdU'I
HOUSE minority leader Danilo Suarez
claimed yesterday that more than 153
coogressmen have signed a marrifesto o.f
support for Rep. Martin Romualdez (I-akas,
Leyte), who is emerging as rhe favorire
candidate of incoming congressmen for
the Speakersh.ip.
"It's enough to win (the speaket's race).
The magic number is 153 ard I drinl< he
@omualdez) has more than (that)," Suarez
told feporters.
Suarez said, however, that some of
the signatories signed the manifesto on
the condition that they will be allowed to
withdraw support once President Duterte
and presideotial daughter Davao Cin
Mayor Sata Dutene-Carpio anoint another
contendec
"All of them have signified support for
Cong. Romualdez *ith a collatilla that thel
wiJj iuppon him tbr as long as rhe farhei
and his daughter n'iI not endorse another
candidate," he said.
"AJdrough that (coadition) to me is not
healthl (for a democratic exercise) tlat's
why I vas elated wheo the Piesideot said
that he was leasing it up to the members
who they s'ant to lead ard be the SpeaLer,"
Suarez added.
Suarez said esen Sara has been telling
congressmen not to bother asking her
anrrnore u'hom to support because "it's
uP to Jou.:'
This means that both the President and
his daughter have already made it cleat "that
itt the affair of the house (so we w.ill) Iet
the members decide."
Other congressmen who are gunrung
tbr dre speakership are Reps.AJan Peter
Catetaoo Taguig-Pateros; Lord Alan
Q..lP,
\-elasco PDP-Laban, \Iarinduque); and
tormer speaker Pantaleon ,{lvarez, vho
s as ousted iasc year on rhe orders of Sara.
The tlree conrenders are with rhe Presi
See SPEAKERSHIP ) Page 83

SPEAKERSHIP
dent in his official visit in Japan.
On Tuesday, Alvarez claimed
that as much as P500,000 to P1
million is being daogled by some
people to buy the votes of con-
gressmen in t}te speakership race.
Alvarez said he never asked his
'fundets to offer the same amos{lt
to his colleagues because "if ve
do that, we will be compromising
the position of the speakership."
fot dailm. because I rras with the minoriryj' an-Y commitment that he would
Suarez twitted Alvarez
ing that his tivals are engaging in he said in jest. support any of since.it was
-them
voie-buying, saying h" .h-oJd utso Suarez added: 'lX4nt I am safng still uncertain if they would win
come clean and tell tie public if he is, he became speaker, did he bu,r' the elections.
did the same thing when he vron votes? There was a breakaway and Duterte said that after the elec-
as speaker in 2016 because such GN{A (Rep Gloda Macapagal- tions, Alvarez talked to him about
allegations are tainting the image Arroyo) became Speaker, did the speaketship issue while Ro-
of the House.
- GNIA buy votes? No. So what is mualdez, tbrough intermediaries,
"Really? When he (Alvarez) he (Alvarez) saying?" had also signified interest about
became speaker, did he buy votes, T}re Preisident on Monday said the post.
too? Beciuse if he is saying that that before the eleitions, Cayetano While his daughter is for Velas-
members (of the House) can be and Velasco discussed the speaket- co, the Ptesident has chosen not
bought,I did not receive anything ship with him but he never made to !'anoir11 a grldid4e qd ifsq
let them batde it out.
tt tFeo
lr eAcrla u
. PROXYWAR?

Rep. Antonio Tinio €L, ACT)

said the speakership race could be a
proxy war among business tycooos
in the coultry.
"DeFnitely. In the fust place,
the maior political parties have the
backing funding of tycoons," he
told reporters.
He cited {e \{oqa!{.qp! t
Coalition of Eduardo ,.Dandins'.
Cojuangcq the Nacionalisu pai,
of former Senate president Mar'-
uel Villar, and the Narjona.l Uaitv
Party Q\IUP) of Enrique Razon_
AJvarez, in separatJ tadio inter-
vierv, said biq business could he
behind the tight race for the top
nouse post.
"Many will be affected, big busi_
ness rnterests.
You'li have an edse
if the Speaker is youts," said tf;e
tormet speaker.