Salceda wants to chair House appropriations committee

MANILA, Philippines — Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda has expressed desire to chair the House committee on appropriations in the coming 18th Congress.

“I aspire for it,” Salceda admitted to reporters on Tuesday when pressed if he is eyeing the powerful committee.

The veteran lawmaker said this after Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III recently endorsed outgoing Senate finance committee chair Loren Legarda as the next head of the House committee on appropriations, which is tasked to lead the crafting of the budget bill in Congress.

Outgoing Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya will vacate the committee on appropriations.

Legarda earned a seat in the House of Representatives after defeating former Antique governor Exequiel Javier in the recently concluded midterm elections for Antique’s lone congressional district.

READ: Loren Legarda proclaimed winner of Antique Congress race

Though he stressed that Legarda was just a “junior Congressman,” Salceda shunned the possible face-off with the Antique Representative-elect for the chairmanship of the House appropriations committee.

“I don’t wanna fight. We’re elected,” he said. (Editor: Eden Estopace)