JDV allies to ask Pichay to drop speakership bid

At least 12 allies of Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. are set to travel to Cagayan de Oro City tomorrow to convince Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay to drop his speakership bid, a House official revealed yesterday.

House Majority Leader Prospero Nograles said the De Venecia-Pichay row is not yet over despite assurances made by congressmen belonging to the administration’s Sunshine Coalition that they will continue supporting the current House leadership.

Nograles, a Davao City congressman, said the scheduled meeting is aimed at resolving the internal rift, which may have adverse effects on Charter change deliberations, the ongoing House revamp, as well as the passage of the anti-terrorism bill and other administration-backed measures.

"We are still talking things out so the issue will be resolved. This Saturday, some 12 or more congressmen will meet in a Cagayan de Oro City hotel to talk things out with Pichay," Nograles said.

Political parties allied with the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats earlier threw support behind De Venecia, among them members and stalwarts of the Liberal Party, Nationalist People’s Coalition, Nacionalista Party and the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino.

Davao del Sur Rep. Douglas Cagas said De Venecia should promote "transparency" in running the affairs of the House.

"The real issue is transparency in the various activities in Congress which will not be resolved whether there is a leadership status quo or not," Cagas said.

Pichay, an administration stalwart, earlier said there is a strong clamor for a change in the House leadership, citing De Venecia’s failure to release on time the pork barrel funds as well as the still unresolved issue of quorum that delayed the passage of important measures.

Sources disclosed earlier that First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo purportedly wanted to get back at De Venecia for his proposal to cut short the term of the President amid the Speaker’s call for the country to shift to a parliamentary form of government from the current presidential system.