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By Sammy Martin, Reporter
WHO are the key congressmen and congresswomen in
the inner circle working with Speaker Prospero Nograles?
Who are the consultants who serve him and his
key congressmen-allies as Secretary Romulo Neri and Noel Albano
served former Speaker Jose de Venecia?
What area of power does each inner-circle member
handle?
My assignment was to find the answers to these
and other questions so I can give readers of The Manila Times an
inside look into the new power structure of the three-month-old
regime of Speaker Nograles.
Speaker Nograles consults regularly with his
close fellow-congressmen allies and with his friends in academe.
These few good men who gives Nograles both solicited and unsolicited
advice aim to help make his stint as the number four most powerful
man in the government truly memorable for leaving a legacy that
Filipinos cannot forget.
Among those Nograles considers as his
“powerhouse”—people who he told me work without any monetary
benefits for him and the good of the Republic—are Rep. Rodolfo
Plaza (Agusan del Sur – NPC), Rep. Antonio Cerilles (Zamboanga del
Sur – NPC), Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Cagayan de Oro – PMP), Rep.
Abraham Kahlil Mitra (Palawan – NPC), Rep. Florencio Noel (An
Waray Party-List), Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla (Cavite – NP) and
Rep. Amado Bagatsing (Manila – Kampi).
Note that some of the people named above are
opposed to or at least lukewarm toward President Gloria Arroyo. But
they are members of the Speaker’s “inner circle” of advisers
and decision-making helpers. They helped him become speaker upon the
House majority’s decision to oust former Speaker Jose de Venecia.
Some members of this inner circle of Nograles do
not hold committee chairmanships.
Aquila Legis brods
Besides congressmen colleagues, Nograles counts
a lot on the support of his old college buddies in the Aquila Legis,
a fraternity of the College of Law of the Ateneo de Manila
University of which he is a graduate. These frat brods of his now
acting as his highpowered battery of lawyers.
They give him advise on all aspects of lawmaking
and governance, including laws to uplift the Filipino people from
their present low economic status.
Most of the congressmen from Mindanao, whether
they are identified with the opposition or not, support the
leadership of Nograles. This is of course most true of the Mindanao
congress who are members of Kampi, the political party founded by
President Arroyo herself and whose leaders were the first to move to
have former Speaker Jose de Venecia ousted. The partyless and
independent Mindanao congressmen also support him.
The first Mindanaoan to become speaker gained
the trust of his colleagues to replace Pangasinan’s de Venecia,
who had held the speakership for five terms, because of his
unquestionable track record as a lawmaker since President Gloria
Arroyo assumed power in 2001.
To start the ball rolling right after his
election as speaker, Nograles personally handpicked his management
team. He has tapped the services of Gil Bugaoisan and Ed Malay, both
products of the journalism industry, plus Bong Serrano and Reggy
Velasco.
Nograles appointed Bugaoisan to replace another
ex-journalist, Noel Albano, director of the House’s Public
Relations Information Division. They are likewise supported by
numerous consultants who help the new leadership to inform the
public of their moves and what strategic moves they will be doing in
the future.
Deputy speakers
Congressmen identified with former Speaker de
Venecia have been retained by Nograles, even if they hold sensitive
positions. Some were replaced.
Nograles’ five deputy speakers are Ilocos
Sur’s Rep. Eric Singson, deputy speaker for Northern Luzon;
Camarines Sur’s Rep. Arnulfo Fuentebella, deputy speaker for
Southern Luzon; Cebu City’s Raul del Mar, deputy speaker for
Visayas; Occidental Mindoro’s Rep. Amelita Villarosa, deputy
speaker for women; and Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong, deputy
speaker for Mindanao.
The latest appointee, Cebu City Rep. Pablo
Garcia, is the sixth deputy speaker. He is rumored to be soon
replacing del Mar who is expected to be appointed vice chairman of
the powerful Commission on Appointments. That position in the CA was
held by Nograles until he became speaker of the House in February.
Surprisingly, Garcia was nominated by no less
than House Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora and got the unanimous vote
of all members present.
The House Majority Leader, Rep. Art Defensor,
however, gives another reason for Rep. Garcia’s appointment. It
is, he said, because the various will be grouped into six clusters
and a sixth deputy speaker will therefore be needed to head one of
the clusters.
These deputy speakers will be monitor and
shepherd the committees under them. They will directly report to
Nograles on the progress of the various bills. Nograles wants at all
times to be able to answer anyone who asks that the latest status of
every bill is.
Congressmen who did not help Nograles become
speaker—sis not support the ouster of Joe de Venecia—who are
still holding sensitive positions will continue in their committee
chairmanships and other important posts. But, Nograles and his key
men told The Times, “they must learn to adopt the mode and ways of
the new leadership as long as they remain professional and do their
assigned tasks and not play politics.”
Nograles’ “powerhouse” inner circle,
besides helping in the vital work of passing laws, will be like his
political bodyguards: they will be determined in thwarting any coup
attempt against him.
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