60 congressmen form coalition to support next speaker

ANGELES CITY , Philippines  – Sixty lawmakers have crossed party lines to form a coalition to back their choice for speaker.

Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino, Lakas-Kampi-CMD vice president for policy during the May 10 elections, said his party-mates in the House of Representatives is likely to support Quezon City Representative-elect Feliciano Belmonte Jr.  as the next speaker.

“One does not have to leave his party to support a speaker belonging to another party,” he said.

“It is the vote that eventually determines whether you are in the majority or in the minority.”

Antonino said he is a member of the newly formed coalition, along with other lawmakers from Lakas-Kampi-CMD, the Nacionalista Party, Partido ng Malayang Pilipino, and the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

 “We will soon come out with full page ads in the newspapers,” he said.

However, Antonino said he does not expect an exodus of Lakas-Kampi-CMD members to the camp of president-apparent Sen. Benigno Aquino III.

“Many members of Lakas-Kampi-CMD believe we should be constructive in dealing with the party of the next administration in the sense of moving in the spirit of cooperation in legislative work for as long as it is for the good of the country,” he said.

Antonino said the prevailing sentiment among them is to adopt a “cooperative alliance” with the next administration.

“We are also one in pushing a common legislative economic agenda amid the world crisis,” he said.

Antonino said he believes President Arroyo, who has been elected representative of Pampanga’s second district, will not seek the post of speaker in the 15th Congress.

“If she were interested, she would have declared so by now,” he said.

“It will serve her no purpose to become speaker. Not even the speaker can survive the onslaught of the executive.”