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WEDNESDAY June 19,2019

ArroAo keeYts off

speekershig r&ce
Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon AIvarez,
0UT60lNG House SPeaker Gloria Ma-
Pampanga Rep. Autelio Gonzales and
capagal Arroyo has kept her silence on
Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter [ayetano'
whether she is supporting a candidate
Lawmakers have noted that the race
who will succeed her after she retires
perceived
had been trimmed down to two
from public office.
frontrunners: Romualdez and Velasco'
?s President IRodrigo] Duterte and
Minority Leader Danilo Suarez earlier
lDavao Cityl Mayor Sara [Duterte-tarpi0]
153
said Romualdez had already secured
have done, I can do no less. I don't talk
iti Arroy0 said votes ftom other congressmen, the"magic
about it. I will not talk about
in a taped interview over AN(3 lndepen- numbe/'necded to win the speakership'
Among these 153 lawmakers were
dence Series on TuesdaY night.
House members of PDP-Laban, the biggest
She reiterated that she Prefers to
political bloc in the chamber.
distance herself from the speakership race
post PDP-Laban, headed by Duterte himsetf,
as she is set t0 step down from her
has 95 members in the House.
on June 30, almost a month before the
1 -Pacman PartYJist
opening ofthe 1 8th Congress. -Meaqryhlle,
Rep. Michael Romero, president ofthe
Anoyo, however, expressed confi dence
54-strong Partylist Coalition Foundation
in the next batch of congressmen who will
lnc (P(Fl), accidentally declared Velasco as
lead the next tbngress, citing their notable
his own personal bet in a private conversa-
work performance.
"0ne ofthe blesings l've had as tion with other partyJist lawmakers,
0f ahead oftheir deliberation on the issue'
Speaker is having worked with a lot
The PCFI, the second-bigge$ political
congressmen. And with what I see in
bloc in the House, will meet on Wednesday
them, I see that they will be doing a good
job when their time comes in leading the to discuss its official speaker bet.
"lt is possible that the PCFI will vote
country. They make me optimistic about
our countrYishe said. on who it will.support as speaker of the ,

Duterte and his daughter Duterte- House dePending on how the discus-

tarpio, whose endorsements are seen sionwill go. lf ever there will be a vote,
as a "key to the speakership," had stood
the members will agree to vote for a
firm on their refusal to have anything to speaker as one bloci'Puwersa ng Bayan-"

do with the race, leading to a divided ing Atleta (PBA) party-list Rep' Jericho
Noglales told The Manila Times'
consensus among House members on
The lawmakers will elect a new speaker ;:
their preferred bets.
on JulY 22, the same day that the 18th
The top five aspirants for the speaker-

ship are Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, '

Conoress formallY convenes.
GLEEJALEA
Marinduque Rep' Lord Allan Velasco,

[',/o4g-c -Ag.t/