PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has again rejected the party’s call for her to run as Speaker in the 15th Congress during their hasty closed-door meeting in Malacanang Tuesday night.
“The President is quite stubborn,” Lakas-Kampi-CMD stalwart Prospero Pichay said, adding that Arroyo reiterated her want to be like Indian leader Sonia Gandhi who had helped her party mates without being a prime minister.
Lakas-Kampi-CMD members have met for the second time since the national elections last May 10.
Pichay said although the President seems adamant about her plan, they are still not giving up on her hoping that they will convince her before the Speakership election.
Arroyo secured a congressional seat in Pampanga’s second district via a landslide victory in the recently-concluded automated polls, which makes her a possible candidate for Speaker.
“Nagagalit pa nga kapag kinukumbinsi namin na ikaw na ang kandidato. Katakot-takot ang pawis ko,” said Pichay in jest.
He noted that they still have more time to choose who among their members is most suitable for the post if Arroyo decides not to run.
“Matagal pa ang election for Speakership, that’s I think July 26 so we still have two weeks left for the month of May. We have the whole June.”
No interest in the post
In a radio interview, House Majority Floor Leader Neptali Gonzales II pointed out that the President expressed no interest in the position contrary to the accusations of her critics.
“I think President Arroyo is not interested to be Speaker in the 15th Congress. I think she just want the party to keep good numbers in the House of Representatives,” the former ally of Arroyo said.
The Mandaluyong lawmaker left the administration camp last April 12 and joined the Liberal Party at the height of internal squabbles of Lakas-Kampi-CMD.
Critics feared that Arroyo might use the support of allies in the House of Representatives to push for a parliamentary form of government and install her as prime minister.
Earlier, Cavite 4th district Representative Elpidio Barzaga said that Arroyo did not give marching orders for her speakership bid, which would pit her against a former Lakas stalwart and now Liberal Party Congressman Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte of Quezon City.
Albay Representative Edcel Lagman said he is willing to fight for the post if the party wishes to field him. The ruling party retained 109 Lower House seats as compared to LP’s 45 seats, although Lagman believed some might switch alliances.
Still strongest contender
Pichay meantime believed that Arroyo is still the strongest contender for Speakership but he declined to dictate her on what to do. “Two hundred percent I agree with you (that she is the strongest candidate). But she is my boss I cannot tell her.”
He however is confident that the next Speaker will still come from their ranks even if Arroyo chooses not to run.
“Perhaps maybe a week before the elections we will be able to agree as to whom we will field,” he said.
As for the moment, Pichay, who heads the party’s membership and recruitment, said they are focusing on strengthening their group which as of date has 109 party members.
He related that during their meeting, there were 21 new congressmen who attended and had been introduced to the party.
“Marami kasi mga neophytes na nanalo. So we have to orient them with the workings of Congress ng sa gayun sa pagbubukas ng Congress medyo marunong na sila,” he said.
Don’t count Arroyo out
Given the fluid political landscape, two political analysts said Arroyo could give her imminent successor a run for his money.
“If you have a Speaker GMA, together with the majority, she will be a thorn in Noynoy’s side, especially he continues his anti-corruption plan,” Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Economic Reform (Iper) told Sun.Star.
Aquino earlier declared that he would form a commission that would look into the allegations of electoral fraud, corruption and other scandals that tainted the Arroyo administration.
Sonny Africa, research head of think-thank group Ibon Foundation, for his part said Arroyo’s allies in the House of Representatives could derail the legislative agenda of the incoming administration.
Africa furthered they see an end to the kind of overwhelmingly pro-administration House of Representatives under Arroyo.
“It appears that the 15th Congress will have a significant opposition presence which would hamper the incoming administration’s legislative agenda as well as create conditions for political maneuvering and counter-maneuvering especially once the novelty and euphoria of a new administration fades,” he said in a text message.
“We also expect charter change to become a major agenda and GMA’s efforts to attain higher political office, initially through the speakership, an important dynamic in the period to come,” Africa added.
Pork barrel
Gonzales also said he would not be surprised to see defections to other camps in the run-up to the opening of the next Congress in July, considering the hold of the sitting president over the release of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
The PDAF, or pork barrel, allocations for each congressman amount to P70 million and P200 million per senator.
“Some congressmen would really ally themselves with the President to avoid the delay of their pork barrel allocations, which is a source for the tangible projects for their respective districts,” he said.
He reiterated that despite the 2013 elections is yet far ahead, Lakas-Kampi-CMD members are considering themselves in aligning to the incoming president.
“The president has a fixed six year term and undoubtedly it is during the midterm elections the chief executive is really powerful,” he added.
Gonzales added that he is not sure whether the congressmen allied with Arroyo would stick with her until the end, considering that it has been the norm in Congress to be friendly to the administration.
“Yung pagkakaibigan o utang na loob as to how far these factors can go, hindi ko po alam,” he said.
Earlier, LP spokesman and Quezon Representative Erin Tanada said the Arroyo administration has been harsh to opposition members in Congress through the non-release of pork barrel allocations.
During the campaign, however, Aquino said he would not block the release of pork barrel allocations to avoid the disruption of providing public services, even in so-called opposition bailiwicks.
Not affected by defections
However, Pichay denied that the ruling party is affected by defections and alleged raiding of other parties particularly the camp of Belmonte who will likely be fielded by the Liberal party as House Speaker.
Belmonte served as Speaker in the 11th Congress.
Pichay said they are not afraid of defections and still confident of maintaining their strength as vacancies in their ranks are filled with people from other parties like Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and Nacionalista Party (NP).
“We are very confident na instead na mabawasan kami baka madagdagan pa kami,” he added.
Pichay said they are willing to have an alliance with Senator Benigno Aquino’s party - Liberal Party – should the latter agrees that Speakership will still come from Lakas-Kampi-CMD.
He added that Aquino should be the one to encourage that Speakership should come from other parties to uphold his advocacy of observing transparency in his administration.
“We are not combative. We are in the House of the Representatives to help this new administration. We don’t want to block the legislative agenda of the next administration,” he said. (Virgil Lopez and Jill Beltran/Sunnex)