PDP-Laban set to regain speakership

MANILA, Philippines — The ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), President Rodrigo Duterte’s political party, will again flex its political muscles to regain the speakership in the House of Representatives, PDP-Laban president Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said on Sunday.

According to Pimentel, 80 of its members snared congressional seats in the May 13 midterm elections, making it the most dominant political party in the lower chamber.

PDP-Laban, he said, would be fielding former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco to succeed outgoing Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“It will be a crying shame if the speakership does not go to a PDP-Laban member,” Pimentel said in a statement.

“We have a deep bench of very capable and very competent party leaders who are committed to push for President Duterte’s legislative agenda,” he added.

Also expected to vie for the highest position in the House were Representatives-elect Martin Romualdez and Lucy Torres-Gomez of Leyte, Alan Peter Cayetano of Taguig-Pateros and Loren Legarda of Antique.

Pimentel said Alvarez could get back his former post since he still has “loyal followers” among congressmen.

He said Gonzales, who served as the party’s national deputy campaign manager, was regarded as the “popular choice not only among PDP-Laban members, but also those in the majority bloc.”