Palawan solon boosts speakership bid

Rep. Vicente Sandoval (Palawan, Lakas) has been getting popular support for the speakership race at the House of Representatives.

Sandoval, a low-key shipping and fishing magnate before going into politics, has actively pursued a dynamic environmental agenda, making him a strong contender for the speakership.

Sandoval is part of the Coalition for New Politics (CNP) composed of 114 pro-administration congressmen belonging to the Lakas, the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, Liberal Party, Promdi, Reporma, Aksyon and the Nacionalista Party.

A group of non-government organizations led by the Earthsavers Movement has also thrown its unqualified support for Sandoval, a three-termer congressmen who spearheaded the enactment of the Clean Air Act.

In pushing the Clean Air Act, Earthsavers director Roger Birosel said Sandoval manifested his genuine concern for ecological preservation.

The Clean Air law seeks to minimize pollution by regulating pollutants in fuel oil and banning garbage incineration.

It took Congress 10 years to pass it due to vigorous lobbies by oil companies.

Other environment-related measures pushed by Sandoval, erstwhile chairman of the House committee on ecology, were the Solid Waste Act, Protection of Wildlife Resources and Hard Surfactants Law which sought to eliminate pollutants in laundry soaps.

Birosel also cited Sandoval for his other environmental concerns such as regulation of the use of chainsaws, protection of certain plant varieties, coastal environment program and forest management and conservation of mangrove.