Two House leaders are confident that Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) President Martin Romualdez would keep his role as Speaker in the 20th Congress.
This, as Deputy Speaker David Suarez and Mark Enverga, both from Quezon, downplayed rumors of potential challengers to the top post in the House of Representatives.
“We believe that in the past three years we have seen the performance of the House. We have seen how we can deliver to the legislative agenda of our President,” Suarez, a Lakas-CMD stalwart, told reporters.
“And we have also seen how we can manage our leadership. We believe that most of us realize the importance of continuity in Congress, and we’re fully supportive of the leadership of Speaker Martin,” added Suarez.
Enverga, a stalwart of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), also said it is most likely that Romualdez will keep the Speakership into the next Congress.
“So, we believe that Speaker Martin will continue his term as Speaker. So, it will continue,” Enverga said.
As for rumours of Speakership contenders, Enverga said he wasn’t aware of any.
While no challengers for the House speakership have stepped forward, the same cannot be said of the Senate presidency.
Senator-elect Tito Sotto said that some of his peers had already expressed support for his taking the upper chamber’s helm.
“Yes, yes. I would be lying if I said no. Some of them have talked to me about it… about three or four of them. That’s it. And they’re saying that their peers are ready to support me. I told them, if we have 13, I will accept,” said Sotto, who previously held the Senate presidency for four years.
Earlier, Senate President Francis Escudero said he was unbothered by Sotto’s candidness about eyeing his job, but pointed out that chatter about political ambitions is premature.
Meanwhile, Suarez dismissed claims of political backlash over the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, pointing out that 86 percent of lawmakers who signed the complaint were reelected – clear proof that the public approves of their decision.
“Well, first of all, if we look at the winning rate of the congressmen who signed the impeachment, I think that was at 86 percent,” he pointed out.
“They would be the first to feel it [the backlash] if such existed,” he added.
Suarez was reacting to statements made by Alyansa campaign manager and Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, who earlier claimed that the impeachment negatively impacted the administration slate in Mindanao and suggested that lawmakers were pressured to support the constitutional accountability mechanism.
However, Suarez rejected any suggestion that the signatures were obtained through pressure or backroom deals, insisting that the lawmakers acted of their own free will.
“There’s no truth to that allegation, there’s no truth to that matter,” Suarez said.
“No one was forced, no one was, how do you say it, asked to sign. And everybody signed the impeachment based on their own volition,” Suarez added.
“Well, I do respect the opinions of Cong. Toby Tiangco with regard to the matter, although I do not subscribe to it,” Suarez said.