Lagman still hopeful to get Speakership

ALTHOUGH the Liberal Party (LP) camp has the numbers for the House Speakership post, Lakas-Kampi bet Albay Representative Edcel Lagman remains hopeful of gaining the hotly-contested seat.

“They (LP) might have the numbers but there is still three weeks,” Lagman told Sun.Star.

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Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo earlier said that she will be backing Lagman who is competing against LP's Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte of Quezon City.

Earlier, LP spokesperson and Quezon Representative Erin Tanada III said congressmen who expressed support for Belmonte's bid reached 150.

Half of which, he said, belongs to their party and the others are mostly from the Nationalist People's Coalition and Lakas-Kampi.

On July 26, the 287 congressmen would elect their House Speaker after the acting secretary-general and majority leader will open the session and announce that the nomination for Speaker is open.

Anti-fraud group Kontra Daya meanwhile warned of the impending return to power of Arroyo allies through defections to the new ruling party.

“Members of Arroyo’s Lakas-Kampi coalition, who arrogantly blocked any opposition during the Arroyo administration, are surreptitiously transferring to the Aquino camp,” said Kontra Daya convener Fr. Joe Dizon.

Of the 25 congressmen sworn in LP last June 25, 22 are from Lakas-Kampi.

It includes Florencio Miraflores, Rodolfo Valencia, Pangalian Balindong, Amado Bagatsing, Joaquin Nava, Arturo Robes, Herminia Roman, Marcelino Teodoro, Joseph Violago, Sergio Apostol, Maria Carmen Apsay, Jose Carlos Cari, Maximo Dalog, Rogelio Espina, Ben Evardone, Paolo Javier, Rene Relampagos, Jesus Sacdalan, Andres Salvacion, Mel Sarmiento, Eric Singson Jr., and Jerry Treñas.

On pork barrel

Meanwhile, Lagman hit LP in saying that they are willing to reduce the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel appropriation.

"The proposal of LP is flawed, cosmetic, counterproductive, anti-poor and will reduce countrywide development," Lagman said in a statement.

Each congressman is allotted with P70 million every year while a Senator gets P200 million.

Although Lagman does not seek an increase in the PDAF, he believed LP's proposal would not work since the savings to be generated from the pork barrel reduction would also mean lessening the local services.

It will also cut beneficiaries for scholarship programs, medical assistance, livelihood support programs and needed financial assistance to local government units.

Lagman added that while the PDAF is suspected to be prone to corruption, not one lawmaker has been convicted.

“The solution is a strict monitoring of projects, and errant legislators must be prosecuted and convicted, if warranted. The problem must be addressed but the lifeline for development and poverty alleviation must not be sacrificed,” he concluded. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)