Friday, February 01, 2008 Nograles 'socializing' with Mindanao lawmakers By Ben O. Tesiorna
DAVAO City Representative Prospero Nograles continues his "socialization" with colleagues in the hope that they would support him once Speaker Jose de Venecia is ousted from the position.
North Cotabato Representative Bernardo "Jun" Piñol Jr. said Nograles met with about 40 congressmen, mostly from Mindanao, Monday evening at the Rembrandt Hotel in Metro Manila.
"Unfortunately I was not able to catch up (with the socialization) as I was with Lakas meeting last night," Piñol said.
The neophyte congressman, however, said he will not be supporting any coup plot in the Lower House to unseat de Venecia.
"How I wish Nogie (Nograles) ran last July 4, 2007 for the speakership. I should have voted for him. To siege the speakership is uncalled for now. I won't support a coup," Piñol said.
Davao City 3rd District Representative Isidro Ungab, on the other hand, said Tuesday evening that the Mindanao bloc of the House is on a meeting at that moment and they all agreed to vote for a Mindanaoan "just in case the post of a Speaker is declared vacant."
"As of now, Speaker de Venecia has the numbers. Majority of the congressmen including myself is waiting for a signal from Malacañang to go ahead or not with the revamp," Ungab said.
The administration sought an audience with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Wednesday to discuss the crisis in the Lower House leadership. It was not known though if their meeting with the President materialized and if she made any decision on the House revamp.
It was learned that no less than the First Gentleman, Mike Arroyo, was meeting with Nograles along with the President's son Representative Mikey Arroyo who recently took an indefinite leave of absence from de Venecia's political party Lakas-CMD.
(Inching closer)
Ungab admitted that Nograles is slowly inching his way to the speaker post with the Arroyos' help.
"But in fairness to Nogie, di naman nya pinupush yung sarili nya para sa position (speaker). Ang sabi lang nya na if mabakante yung Speaker ay dapat taga Mindanao yung aming ilagay. But yung ibang kasama naming sa Mindanao bloc tulad ni Representative Datumanong ay mukhang kay JDV pa rin," Ungab said.
Reports said that de Venecia has the clear support of about 68 congressmen while Nograles has only 60.
With the House of Representative having 239 members, anyone who could muster 120 votes would surely get the post.
Some say Nograles has already got 100 supporters from Congress. Latest report revealed though that Nograles now has 136 signatures in his favor.
In all of this, Piñol, however, said that a change in the House leadership won't solve at all the country's "grave poverty."
