2 THURSDAY JUNE I3,2019
'llext s[eaket snouH
Gome from PIIP-la[an'
Pimentel says party to nominate candidate
By VANNE TERRAZOLA
With at least 94 of their mem- .. Rep. Aurelio Gonzales and Marin-
bers to assume congressional
seats in the 18th Congress, Parti-
do Demokratiko ng Pilipinas-Lakas'
ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) president
and Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pi-
mentel III believes that the next
House Speaker should come from
their party.
Pimentel said this followinq
the meeting of PDP-Laban lead-
ers in Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiaob
residence in Makati City Tuesday
night regarding the House speak-
ership.
In the meeting. were the three
PDP-Laban members aspiring to
be the new leader ofthe House of
Representatives: former Speaker
and Davao del Norte Representa-
tive Pantaleon Aharez, Pampanga
duque Rep. Lord Alan Velasco.
Also present was l-Pacman par-
ty-list Rep. Eric Pineda.
Yhd PDP-Laban, the party of
President Duterte, is the biggest
bloc in Congress with more than 94
representatives on top the partyl-
ist congressmen allied with us and
therefore jt iS imperative that the
Speaker,should com'e from PDP.-
Laban," Pimentel said in a state-
iTent releasdd early Wednesday
after thelr meeting.
The administration political party
would choose from Alvarez, Gon-
zales, and Velasco, and field only
one candidate for the speakership
race.
Pimentel said he has delegated
Pacquiao, PDP-Laban's campaign
manager, to announce the party's
officlal nominee.
Pacquiao, he added, will make
the announ@ment "after follow-
ing an agreed upon process." "
Members of the Dartv are ex-
petted b iupport their oificial can-
didate.
"We will stand united in ensuring
that we will have a speaker who
can truly work not only with his
peers in the House but also with
the members of the Senate," Pi-
mentel said.
"We will stand as one in this
fight with firm belief that more
than evet President Duterte needs
the assurance that hecan count on
Congress in pushing for the much
needed reforms that would .uplift
the lives of our people," he added.
The party is eyeing to regain the
leadership of the Lower Chamber
after Alvarez was ousled in a sur-
prise sesslon before Duterte's State
of the Nation Address last year He
was replaced by former president
and outgoing Pampanga Rep. Glo-
ria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Earlier, Pimentel said they would
seek the recomendation of Duterte,
their party chairman, in choosing
their official nominee.
But aside from the three PDP-La-
ban mngressmen, incoming Taguig
City Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano of
the Nacionalista Party, and incom-
ing Leyte Rep. f4artin Romualdez
of the Lakas CMD are also vying
for the highest House.post.
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