sffifiarc
44,i moruonv, m Ay 27, zoLs
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Race for
Spea kersh ip
EVEN before the midlerm elections floor and close relations witl the Palace,
came to a close, talk ofthe race for the particularly with former Special Assis-
House Speakership had already started. tant to the Prcsident and now Senator
Jockeying for the post among the new-
ly elected congressmen for the fourth
most powerful govemment office id the
land has heated up.
.
ta Romualdez is strong
QN building consensus.ll
So far, three names have risen to
the fore former senator and Foreign
Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cay-
etano, Lelte Rep. Martin Romualdez
and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan
Velasco-
tsut what has Cayebno achieved in
his shortlived watch over the DFA at
a lime ofcontentious issues with China
on the disputed Soutl China Sea and
Beijing's encrcachment in the West
Philippine Sea? Insiden af the DFA
claim Cayetano never had any real ac-
tion plan nor policy on the issue except
to mouth President Rodrigo Duterte's
lhe on it.
Velasco is already lord of Marin-
duque. Wtrat else can he bring to the
table as House Speaker?
Cayetano's calibrated ambition for
the presidency and Velasco's vague
plan for legislation makes Martin Ro-
the House
mualdez the wise choice for House
Speaker. His calm persona and signa-
ture approach for consensus-building
will contribute much to t}e early pas,
sage of vital measures needed by the
people. With less debates on the House
Christopher Bong Go and presidgntial
daughter DaVao City Mayor lndayrSara
Dut€rte, Congress can be counted on to
enact more urgent bills.
As for Cayetano's presidential ambi-
tion, he should be reminded about the
curse of the Speakership. No House
Speaker, from Ramon Mitr4 Joe de
Venecia and Matrny Villaaevel rgade
it as President. Cayetano even never
made it as Digong's running mate for
vice president. Is it Cayetano's game
plan to use the Speakership to parlay it
into his 2022 presidential bid? The peo-
ple aad the more than 200 congressmen
know better.
House insiders and the media cov-
ering Congress, know that Cayetano's
priority is l, me and rhyself.
Romualdez. on the other hand. is
known as a ieam player IIe has a law
degree from the University ofthe phil-
ippines and also studied at the presti-
gious US lvy League University of
Comell. This certainly adds to his qual-
ifications to be House Speaker. His sev-
eral yean as Leyte representative will
also serve him in good stead in work-
ing with both senior and new House
members. Former Speaker Feliciano
"Sormy'' Belrnonte credits Romualdez
with the passage of priority bills with-
out sacrificing fus principles to fiscalize
administratjon- certifi ed legislXion.
T[n tolS
lnll .
Aside fiom Belrnonte, Bultay Palty-
List 44. Liio Atiedu also cxPresod
his suppod for Romualdez as Speaker
of rhe Hoirse. I\
q4port of trP vdi'
ous pqrty list sol()n.s:is iecessary for
good leadership.
This fiIea is the mnrr who as Speaker
can hamess his skills in consenrnrs and
sobeir legislation and still wott with
the executive brerich for eftciivb mea'
surtls ihat will rcdbund b rhe feople's
His
pubs on various local inier€sts which ,
aie rife in ihe House. This is specially.
fu€ in tbe enactment of the national
budgd as seen in the last apgqrh- '
tions deliberations.
Romualdez should be able to gukle .
the House in the next three years in
the passage of priority bills by cor- .
solidating each congressman's paro- .
.chial interest that still serves the na-
tional interesl
Related to the May 13 polls, the
Cornmission on Elections leminded '
boli winning and locing candidates to
submit no laterthan June 12 their Stlte-
Incnt of Campaign Ex@ses to avoid l
rsanctions
that includc disqualification. :
'This happened to then winning Laguna
governor E.R. Ejercito who was un-
scated becouse he did not declare his
SOCE tuthfirlly.
\ PAQ€ - A.1,,