Abad prepared to join minority over speakership

Batanes Rep. Florencio Abad and his supporters are prepared to go opposition if they lose the speakership fight to comebacking former Speaker and Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr.

"All deals are off, tuloy ang laban,"" Abad told reporters yesterday after he and other leaders of a coalition of six political groups met and decided what to do in the face of growing support for De Venecia.

The former Speaker has been enticing the Abad group to join his swelling ranks of supporters with plum committee posts and membership in the powerful Commission on Appointments.

Abad said he and his group members agreed that if they lose the fight to the Pangasinan congressman, "we are prepared to join the minority (opposition)."

Besides the Batanes lawmaker, who is president of the Liberal Party, those who attended yesterday’s meeting included Palawan Rep. Vicente Sandoval, head of a small Lakas faction; Cebu Rep. Raul del Mar of Promdi, and Jose Mari Gerochi, who represented Reporma.

Abad said he talked to Deputy Speaker Carlos Padilla (LDP), leader of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino conscience bloc, who, he added, supported their decision.

Abad’s LP and Padilla’s LDP bloc are the biggest groups in the coalition. Between them, they have about 40 congressmen. Reporma and Promdi have two each.

De Venecia has the support of mainstream Lakas congressmen numbering more than 60, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Nacionalista Party, Aksyon Demokratiko, and other political groups. Some party-list lawmakers are also supporting him.

NPC is the second biggest bloc in the House after Lakas. It has more than 50 members.

Abad said their group will meet again on Thursday to decide on who they will field against De Venecia.

If Abad and his supporters join the minority, the opposition in the incoming House will be an odd mix of followers of ousted President Joseph Estrada and supporters of President Arroyo who are about to turn their back on her for failing to get her blessing in the speakership fight.