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By Ryan Ponce Pacpaco
IN a free for all speakership fight, Leyrte Represen-
tative-elect Martin Romualdez has the ace io win
the House top post, a high-ranking Mindanao
House lead€r said yesterday.
Deputy Speater and Sulu Rep. Munir Arbison
said Romualdez has the numbers to win the Speak-
ership of the ircoming 18th Congress after getting
the bdcking of the majority of their coueagues.
{Whatever the President's choice will be the
Spiaker. If he (President Rodrigo Duterte) will not
intervene Martin has the ace," said Arbison.
Earlier, Presidmt Duterte vowed to exercise a
"hands off" policy in the selection of the next Speak-
er while her daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara
Duierte Carpio, chaiiperson of the Hugpong ng
Pagbabago (HNP) regiona.l party, said she was not
h the posihon to pick the House leader.
ANAC-IP Paty-List Rep. Jose Panganiban Jr.,
who chairs the House Comrnittee on Agriculture
and Food, said Romualdez has the experience and
leadership advantage compared to the other Speak-
er-wannabes and is the most acceptable to the
overwhelming majority of their colleagues.
Parganibar said Romualdez, president of the
Philippine Constitu tio n Association (Philconsa ) and
Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), "has
the edge in leadership qualities, experimce, and
goodwillamong House members" compared to the
other candidates in the Speakership race.
But while the seeming Palace's tune is not to
meddle in the Speakership race, Panganiban la-
mmted that many lawmakers will support whoev-
er will be chosen by President Duterte even if the
candidate is perceived weak,
"[The biggest trump card is] closeness to the
.
president, unfortunately," Panganiban lamented.
"The congressmen will always abide even of the
pick of the President is the wealest choice."
Pampanga Rep. Auelio "Dong" Conzales, also
a Speaker-wannabe, denied that candidates for
Spealcership race bribed their colleagues.
'ryS_Tq.b^!.4ta sa floor pero 'di pa rin alo
_na.nuuq/aH, saro uonzarcs,
Earlier, House Min ority l,eader an d Quezon Rep,
Danilo "Damv" Suarez iaid Romualdez is a suie
winner in the dpeakership race following the decla-
ration of President Duterte that he will let lawmak-
ers elect its leader.
Suarez bared that a manifesto of suppod for
Romualdez has reached the "magic number" or
more than 153, which is enough to win the Speak-
ership race.
Romualdez, head of the House Independent Bloc
in the previous 16d Congress, holds i Bachelor of
Arts in Govemment from the hry League school,
ComeU University, and a Certifi cate of Special Stud-
ies in Administlation and Management ftom Har-
vard University.
He also earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from
the University of the Philippines. p<)cz