Who will be the next House speaker?
LUCKY P. MALICAY
MANILA — Several names are being floated for the possible replacement of Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo when she ends her term next month.
Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, president of President Rodrigo Duterte's political party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), earlier said the party would regain the leadership of the House of Representatives.
Frontrunners for the speakership post are from the dominant PDP-Laban — Pantaleon Alvarez (Davao del Norte), Aurelio Gonzales (Pampanga) and Lord Allan Jay Velasco (Marinduque).
Administration allied lawmakers are also being eyed for possible speakership — Alan Peter Cayetano (Taguig City), Martin Romualdez (Leyte) and presidential son Paolo Duterte (Davao City).
Fredenil Castro (Capiz) of the National Unity Party and outgoing Sen. Loren Legarda have also expressed
interest for the post.
PANTALEON ALVAREZ
Former Speaker Alvarez, who was booted out of the House Speakership in a coup last year, wants a comeback this year.
Alvarez was ousted as House speaker in July last year, with President Rodrigo Duterte's State of the Nation Address as his last official function as head of the lower chamber.
More than 180 members of the 292-member House of Representatives voted Arroyo to replace Alvarez while 12 abstained.
Earlier this week, Alvarez offered reconciliation with his political enemies, including Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, whom he had feud with.
“Now that elections are over, I offer my hand in peace to heal our deep and divisive wounds,” Alvarez said in a
THE STAR/GEREMY PINTOLO
statement
Sara Duterte, however, said Alvarez's offer of reconciliation was "deceiving and lacked sincerity." She warned that the former speaker "remains to be a very dangerous, Machiavellian individual who do not deserve peace."
FREDENIL CASTRO
House Majority Leader Fredenil Castro earlier admitted that he is interested in becoming the House Speaker but has yet to discuss this matter with Arroyo.
Castro, president of the National Unity Party, was reelected as congressman for the second disctrict of Capiz in the 2019 midterm polls. This would be his sixth term in the lower house.
ALAN PETER CAYETANO
Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, now a representative of his hometown Taguig City, gave up his Cabinet post for a seat in the House of Representatives. As early as October last year, Cayetano had expressed interest in the speakership position.
"I will seek the leadership position in the House but it's a complex matter...You have to win the trust and confidence of the whole Congress especially na may specific vision tayo," Cayetano earlier told reporters.
Cayetano had also expressed optimism that he would get the House speakership without Sara Duterte's endorsement. Cayetano's Nacionalista Party is allied with the Davao City mayor's Hugpong ng Pagbabago coalition.
While Sara confirmed that Cayetano did not seek for her endorsement when they met in Davao last year, the presidential daughter claimed that the Taguig lawmaker warned her against endorsing Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco (Marinduque). This supposed agreement between Sara and Velasco seeks to avoid last year's House coup over the speakership.