Oust-Belmonte plot? Not us, says Palace

Malacañang on Sunday said that it had no knowledge of or hand in a reported plot by the Liberal Party (LP) to unseat Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., the ruling party’s vice chair.

Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma told a Radyo ng Bayan interview: “Wala po tayong kinalaman o wala po tayong nababatid hinggil sa mga bagay na ’yan (We have no knowledge and nothing to do with that).”

The Palace’s focus is on a “constructive legislative process,” he said.

Western Samar Rep. Senen Sarmiento, the LP secretary general who was named in reports as plotting to replace Belmonte, has denied a plan to unseat the Speaker for supposedly backing the presidential bid of Sen. Grace Poe.

Sarmiento last week told House reporters that “Speaker Belmonte, myself and all other LP members are bound by the same ideals and principles.”

“All these claims of a plot against the Speaker are lies and are designed to divide the LP. The LP will be solid and the LP is here to stay,” he said.

Belmonte acknowledged a plot to unseat him. He said, however, he was confident it would not prosper.

“Yes, there was information reaching my camp about a plan to unseat me. But definitely this would not materialize for lack of popular support,” he said.

The Speaker was said to favor Poe and Sen. Francis Escudero as administration candidates for President and Vice President over Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the presumptive LP standard-bearer in next year’s polls.

Belmonte had urged President Aquino to convince Poe and Roxas to agree on a common coalition candidate between them or they all face defeat at the hands of opposition presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay.

“Sheer logic says that if your supporters are divided, your chances will be lessened… the ideal thing is to have a single ticket representing the administration. Any combination (Roxas-Poe or Poe-Roxas) is a good one. But the best is only one ticket supportive of the administration,” the Speaker said.–Jerry E. Esplanada