JDV elected Speaker today

Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr., who is national chairman of the ruling Lakas-NUCD-Kampi, will be elected Speaker of the House of Representatives today.

His election this morning is just some sort of formality since more than two-thirds of his colleagues have already signed a resolution supporting him.

This will be his third term as Speaker since 1992. He occupied the fourth highest post in the land throughout the Ramos administration.

Expected to oppose him is Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos Padilla, the only remaining declared challenger. Padilla belongs to the opposition Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP).

Padilla said that he was continuing his candidacy for the speakership in the spirit of democracy and for the House to have a viable alternative to what appears to be an imminent De Venecia restoration.

"It’s not over till it’s over," Padilla said as he made a last ditch appeal to his colleagues.

Last Thursday, four days before the convening of the 12th Congress, Batanes Rep. Florencio Abad, who is president of the pro-administration Liberal Party, withdrew from the speakership race.

He backed out due to pressure from President Arroyo, who wanted all pro-administration groups to support De Venecia, and from his own party mates who were ready to desert him and defect to De Venecia’s side had he pursued his ambition to become Speaker.

Mrs. Arroyo was the former Speaker’s vice presidential running mate in the 1998 elections. De Venecia lost to then Vice President Joseph Estrada, while then Senator Arroyo won the vice presidency.

On the eve of his election, De Venecia said he would mobilize the entire House to help the President "get this nation moving again."

He said he would seek a strong working partnership with whoever is installed Senate president "to get our act together and ensure the success of the administration’s anti-poverty program."

He said a Senate ruled by pro-administration senators would ensure a smooth working relationship between Congress and Malacañang.

"The bottom line is to unite and work and deliver an anti-poverty program that works," he stressed.

De Venecia has presented to Mrs. Arroyo his "Economic Action Plan 747" which he said is a comprehensive program to fight poverty by attaining an unprecedented economic growth of seven percent for seven years beginning next year.

He wants to do a repeat of the growth the nation experienced during the Ramos years before the Asian financial crisis and Estrada’s election, although such economic expansion did not reach seven percent even at its highest.

His critics claim his seven percent growth objective is too optimistic and unrealistic but De Venecia reasons out that it is just a "fighting target."

He said the present low growth of three to four percent "is just unacceptable."

At such rate, a poor family could become a member of the middle class after 35 to 40 years.

"Our people are impatient. They want concrete results and will no longer accept excuses and explanations for our poor economic growth. The time to act is now," he said. –With Charlie Lagasca