llirakqla
Business Insight
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
ls he serious? Pulong
to join speaker race
BY WENDELI VIGILI'T
PRESIDENTIAL son Davao
City Rep. Paolo "Pulong!' Duterte
yesterday expressed intention to
join the already tight speakership
race eveo if President Duterte has
vowed to resrgn if he $/ill do so.
"tr{oapil na ko pagka-speaket (I
will join tie speakership race)," the
neophlte Jas'rnaker said in a press
statement !,.ith only tlrree weeks
Ieft before the 18th Coogress
opens on |uly 22, "The House is
divided. I might be able to help
PULONG
to the presideltial son's statements,
safing what was rude was Velasco's
act of maLing the President appeat
a liar by denying their term-sharing
agleement.
VeJasco was fielded by some lead-
ers of the ruling PDP-Laban to run
against Cayetano and Leyte Rep.
Irfarth Romualdez of I-akas a{ier the
President declated last week that he
will no longer pick his bet.
The supermajority was divided
after some PDP-I-aban mernbers op-
posed thei leaders' decision ro sign a
oanifesto of suppon forVelasco's bid
Breaking tradition, Rep, Duterte
is proposing rhat the speaker's post
be shated by representatives from
Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and
the patty-list groups.
'1 will ask the Visa5,zs bloc to elect
their speaker for theA term share,
with the Mindanao bloc and
a':rd so
the party-list coalition," he said.
The younger Duterte said the
speakership race is not just about
Cayetano and Velasco but the
whole county.
'Ve are not talking about two
persons here. We are talking about
our beloved couatry. It is not about
unite it,"
In a speech during the oath-
taking of government officials in
Malacaiang Iast May 27, the Presi-
dent told Paolo to let him knorv he
if was running fot speaker so that
he can imoediately resign because
it will not look good that too many
Dutertes ate occupying the most
power6:l positioos in the country
The presidential son had previ
ously said he has no interest in the
position bur said he had a change
of hean because of ta.lks of term-
sharing "being obsessively pushed
speakership alone, but who is *re
right person to unite Congress
and I hope those running for the
speakership stop influencing the
cabine(' said the President's son,
Albal Rep. Joey Salceda of
PDP-Laban, a supporter of Ro-
mualdez, said the President's son
will easily win the spealership race
if he is serious.
"Paolo will get 300 (votes) and
(there will be) no need to share
(the dree-year) term," said Salceda,
who eadier said that half of the
ruling party's more tlao 80 mem-
bets are for Romualdez.
Salceda added that Romualdez
will surely withdraw from the tace
and give way to the Ptesident's son.
'The long and short of ie It's
still the Ptesident who wields
the sword," said ttre lawmaker,
a trusted lieutenant of former
speaket Gloria Aroyo.
Pampanga Rep Autelio Gonzales
Jr., ooe of Velasco's staunchest sup-
poners in his speakenhip bid, said
no one would dare to contest *re
presideotial son if he joins the race.
Gonzales, who was among the
first ones to asple fot the speaker's
post, said all of Velasco's sup-
poters will shift their support fot
\ f,4-crlf H+€,
by Congresbmar (Iaguig-Pateros
Rep.) Ala-n Peter Cayeano"
"Pareho lang kaming binoto ng
mga tao ah. Kuog term sharing,
term-shating na kaming lahat (All
of us wete voted by the people. If
thete will be a term-shaling all of
us should join it)," the presidential
son said.
Last Sunday, Paolo castigated
bickerhg speakership candidates
for allegedly playing dirty to secute
the fouth highest position in the
country, calling the tactics "rude"
Cayetano has been pouncing on
Paolo. He is claiming that Velisco
hasat lelst 200 supporters.
"If he joins, I think nobody
elsewill fight him aod all of us, all
the coalition parties, will join him.
We ate fot 'Pulong' Duterte fot
speaker," Gonzales told repoltefs.
NOT YET FINAL
While President Duterte had
previously said that he would
resign if Par.rlo runs for speaker,
Chief Pres.idential I-egal Counset
Salvador Panelo said the elder
Duterte! decision may still change,
depending on the circumstancei.
Panelo, concuffent presidendal
spokesman, said the decision of the
younger Dutete to rurr for speaker
is still in the plaoning stages and not
yet final. Panelo added drat no one
could really prevent Rep Duterte
ftom seeking the speakesbip.
"As a genetal principle, if you
ate qualified to run, then you can
run," he said.
He added tlut one's decision or
position on an issue is dependent
on the circumstances aid when the
circumstances change, the stand
also changes.
"h.rwede riog magbago ang isip ag
Velasco for allegedly backing out
of their term-sharing agreement
which the President, himsef sug-
gested to put an end to the divisive
speakership ace.
The former foreign affairs secre-
taiy wants Velasco to apologize to
tl.re President for making it appear
the Chief Executive lied when he
confumed that he had approved a
term-sharing agreemeflt betweel
the two candidates for speaker,
On Mooday, Cayetano reacted
See PUI-ONG ) Page 85
Presidente A:wede dngmalago rg
isip si Congtessmar Paolo Duterte,
So tingnan natin. I-et it evolve...
Tingnar rutin (Ihe thinkiog of dre
President can change. The thioking
of Congressman Paolo Dutefte
may a.lso change. So leCs see. Let it
erohe. , .I-eds see)," he said.
Panelo added that if the ptes-
ent circumstances compel the
President to change his stand
about resigning, he cou.ld change
is mind, He, however, is uncertain
rvhat &cumstances could change
the older Duterte's offer to tesign.
'ltrala pa rurrun" Hindi pra rvrmao
oga n gigi{€ Sp€akeq n€-arirrounce
pa lang eh. ..Kung siguro kapag
Speaker ru siya (ds srill nothing He
has not yet become the Speal<et He
just announced his plans...Iilaybe if
he becomes the Spealer)," Panelo said
The President in May said there
were already so many Duteftes
in govemment that it has already
become embarassing
Apart from the President and
Rep. Duterte,presidentialdaughter
Sala Dutete-Cafpio is the cu!!e'lt
mayor of Davao City wbile presi-
dential son Sebastian Duterte is the
incumbent is vice mayor of Davao
City. - With Jocclgn Montem4lor