54-strong partylist bloc trims choice for Speaker to 2 candidates
Credit to Author: GLEE JALEA| Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2019 05:06:40 +0000
THE party-list bloc of the House of Representatives announced on Tuesday that its choices for speakership have been narrowed down to two, claiming that the other candidates were allegedly “looking down on partylist groups.”
Citing the sentiments of fellow party-list lawmakers, Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Partylist Rep. Jericho Nograles said that Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco and Leyte Rep.-elect Martin Romualdez were “truly serious in the bid for the speakership.”
“I observed that our partylist congressmen are one in the belief that under a Velasco or a Romualdez speakership, we will be treated fairly and the concerns of our constituents will be heard and respected,” Nograles said.
“Some of the wannabes who have tried to reach out to us obviously have a different view about partylist groups. Parang mababa ang tingin sa amin (it seems that they are looking down on us),” Nograles said.
The lawmaker refused to name names but stressed that in the end, the 54 members of the Partylist Coalition Foundation Inc.(PCFI) headed by 1-Pacman Partylist Rep. Mikee Romero would decide as one bloc when the House votes for its speaker at the opening of the 18th Congress July 22.
“We can’t tell when yet. But [the decision is] definitely subject to a general meeting of the partylist bloc,” Nograles told The Manila Times.
Other candidates for speakership are Taguig Rep.-elect Alan Peter Cayetano, Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez.
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