THE PHILIPPINE ST

THURSDAY I JUNE 13,2019 news

PDP-Laban fails to pick bet for speaker
By JESS DIAZ
The ruline PDP-Laban has failed to
choose its cididate for speaker of the
House of Representatives in the incom-
ing 18th Coigress, which convenes on
Jvly n.
The administration party's three speak-
ership aspirants - reelected Reps. Lord
allari veiasco of Marinduque,-Aurelio
Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga and Pantaleon
Alvarez o{ Davao del Norte - met on
Tuesday night but could not agree on who
among-their would be the candidate for
the too House post
rhi meetinl was held in the Forbes
Park, Makati frome of Sen. MannY Pac-
ouiao, who was PDP-Laban's national
c'ampaign manager in the recent elections'
Gon2ales was his dePutY
Turn to Page 6

PDP-LaborI
Pacquiao and party presi-
Aquilino Pimentel
' dent Sen.
, III served as mediators. They
l.tried in vain to get the three
speakership aspirants to
come to an agreement on a
common candidate.
Rep. Eric Pineda of party-
Iist group l-Pacman attend-
ed tlre meeting:
A PDP-Laban member
said Pacquiao, Pimentel,
.Gonzales, Velasco and A1-
varez agreed that the next
speaker should come from
PDP-Laban, "since it is' the
party of President Duterte."
"They also agreed that the
oartv should unite behind a
lingie candidate or it would
be fragmented," the source
said.
He said the ruling party
would try to get Duterte to
choose who among Velasco,
Gonzales and Alvarez would
be the PDP-Laban candidate
for speaker
He added that Pimentel
and the three speakership
. aspirants asked Pacquiao
to meet with the President
soon "to get a sense of his
preference."
Pimentel announced after
Tuesday night's meeting
that Pacquiao would soon
r,o,"""g"r
announce the PDP-Laban
candidate for speaker.
It is not clear what the
partv would do if Duterte
iticlis to his word that he
ryouQ.not meddle in the
election o{ the top official of
the House.
His daughter Davao City
Mayor Sara Duterte, who,
according to the President,
"maneuvered" Alvarez's
ouster as speaker in July last
made a similar com-
yeatr, has
mitment.
Alvarez told The STAR
yesterday it wili ultimately
be the choice of President
Duterte that will prevail in
the rivalry over the Post of
soeaker.
' "Everybody is in the run-
ning still. Those who are as-
piring to be become speaker
are still in the race. It will
onlv be when the President
*oirld ,rruk" his choice that
we will abide by who is it
that he wants to be speakel,"
he said.
Alvarez said everyone
vying for the speakership -
regardless of party affiliation
-;ill follow the instructions
of the Prcsident.
- Edith Regalado, Paolo
Romero Yp*nr PAes'l