Friday, June 29, 2007 Pabling to accept minority leader post if JDV wins
CONGRESSMAN elect Pablo Garcia vowed yesterday to take the House minority leadership should he fail to get elected as House Speaker, despite criticisms from the opposition.
Garcia, the main opponent of House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. of Lakas, belongs to the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) party of President Arroyo.
“Those in the opposition are now telling me that in case I don’t make it, which at the moment is unlikely, they will ask me to keep the post of minority leader. Because knowing my relationship with the President, they can be sure that their interests will be protected,” Garcia said in a television interview.
The 81-year-old Garcia would not identify the opposition congressmen but said some of them are notable opposition leaders at the House.
Those considered contenders for the minority leadership post are San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora, Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos Padilla, Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) party-list Rep. Joel Villanueva, South Cotabato Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio and Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.
Indecent
House tradition and rules dictate that a candidate for speaker who loses but gets the second highest number of votes automatically becomes the minority leader.
Rep. Roilo Golez of Parañaque City, the interim spokesman of the opposition bloc, has said Garcia’s plan, if it pushes through, would be “undemocratic, indecent and would make the Philippine House the laughing stock of the civilized world.”
De Venecia has already assured he would not accept the minority post in case he loses his fifth Speakership bid.
Villanueva, however, said the speakership battle between the two administration congressmen could be a mere plot to ease out the opposition.
He also dared Garcia to identify the opposition congressmen who are pushing him to grab the minority leadership post.
Sources have said Garcia’s decision to challenge de Venecia was an offshoot of a falling-out between Rep. Luis Villafuerte of Camarines Sur and Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno over differences in the disbursement of Kampi’s funds.
Puno, a former Antipolo congressman, was the party’s president in 2004 when President Arroyo decided to revive her original party.
Villafuerte, the incumbent president, has previously denied speculations he is eyeing the chairmanship of the powerful House appropriations committee and using the Speakership race for leverage. (Sunnex)
