Speakership should not be a battle between Lakas and Kampi, lady solon says

Press Release
By Provincial Media Relations Center (PMRC Leyte)
June 1, 2007

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte  –  Leyte First District  Representative Remedios “Matin” Petilla said the position for the House speakership in Congress should not be a fight between the ruling coalition’s Lakas or Kampi.

Early this week, a pitch was made by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Kabalikat ng Mamayang Pilipino (KAMPI) party at the House of Representative to challenge the present House Speaker Jose De Venecia of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party.

Kampi is rooting for Cebu Second District Congressman-elect Pablo Garcia for the speakership.

“It shouldn’t be a squabble between Lakas or Kampi. It should be a question who can better serve the speakership position and redound to a better and cohesive legislative body,” Rep. Petilla said before she flew to Manila Wednesday.

According to reports, the challenge came out to provide for a speaker, who would come from the Visayan region, and end the term of speakers from Luzon.

According to Rep. Petilla it is quite unfair to say that the present House Speaker De Venecia, a Luzon native himself, has thus far concentrated his leadership only for projects in the Luzon area.

“It should not be said nga porke taga Luzon ka, Luzon la liwat and imo priority. O kon taga Visayas ka, Visayas liwat or kon taga Mindanao, Mindanao la liwat,” Rep Petilla said.

She said that so far during her first term in Congress, the speaker has been quite fair in all the areas of concern of the different congressional representatives.

The ruling coalition in the House of Representatives is composed of Lakas-CMD, Kampi, the Nationalist People's Coalition, the Liberal Party-Lito Atienza group, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino and the Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas.

Before the start of the campaign for the midterm elections, Kampi was accused of raiding the ranks of Lakas and for having the ulterior plan of making their own party mate into the speakership.