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By Maricel V. Cruz, Reporter
Count House Majority Leader
Prospero Nograles in as the newest contender for Speaker.
Cavite Rep. Crispin “Boying”
Remulla said on Monday that there were efforts to persuade Nograles
to challenge Jose de Venecia for the speakership in the Fourteenth
Congress.
In a statement, Remulla said a
“big group” of congressmen had been trying to encourage Nograles,
a member of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, to give the
speakership a go because they feel “a younger and more credible
leadership is now needed in the House of Representatives.”
“We feel that what we need
right now is somebody who is welcome to both Kampi [Kabalikat ng
Malayang Pilipino], Lakas and other parties within the majority
coalition and has maintained a good relationship even with the
minority. We cannot think of the best alternative within the
majority bloc but Nogie,” Remulla said, referring to Nograles.
Remulla said Nograles’
supporters were “now trying to get support from our peers and find
some common ground for [de Venecia’s tough contender, Rep.-elect
Pablo Garcia of Cebu] to give way to [Nograles].”
“Representative Garcia is OK
but he is not the best choice to challenge de Venecia. It will be a
futile battle for him. On the other hand, if we can solidify our
group and theirs, which will be a combination of Kampi and Lakas
congressman, Nogie has the best chance in this fight,” he added.
The administration Kampi Party is
backing Garcia against de Venecia.
Remulla is confident his group
could persuade Nograles to run especially since de Venecia has
reportedly junked him as majority leader in favor of Iloilo’s
Arthur Defensor.
Nograles last week confirmed that
young congressmen were egging him to challenge de Venecia.
Remulla said Nograles would be
acceptable even to some key officials in Malacañang because they
feel the initiative for Charter change could not succeed with de
Venecia at the helm of the House.
But female members of the House
were betting that de Venecia would be Speaker for a record fifth
time after President Arroyo praised him for supporting vital tax
reform measures.
President Arroyo particularly
lauded de Venecia’s role in the approval of the unpopular but
decisive Expanded Value-Added Tax in 2006. The tax measures helped
reduce the budget deficit and boosted investor confidence in the
country, resulting in an economic upswing that reached 6.9 percent
during the first quarter of this year.
“Speaker de Venecia could have
chosen the easier road—which was to be popular. Yet he knew he
must decide with the nation’s interest at heart—and this what he
did. He should be commended for his political courage and political
will in the face of criticism,” Reps. Lorna Silverio, Mitos
Magsaysay, Girlie Villarosa, Nanette Castelo-Daza and newcomer,
Rachel Arenas said in a statement.
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