Palace: Arroyo faces tough climb to House speakership

Malacañang admitted Saturday outgoing President and incoming Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo faces an uphill battle if she guns for the House speakership in the 15th Congress. Deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar said Mrs. Arroyo will have to deal not only with a possible alliance against her, but also with the exodus of members from her Lakas-Kampi-CMD. “It may be uphill for everybody but more uphill for Congresswoman Arroyo if she decides to gun for the speakership," Olivar said on government-run dzRB radio. He said Mrs. Arroyo is likely to be ranged against Liberal Party member and Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr., himself a former Lakas member who transferred to the LP. Olivar admitted that while the LP is presently a minority party, its ranks are expected to increase greatly with the impending presidential victory of Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino III. “The LP is (a) minority (party) in terms of numbers now, pero ang president-elect galing sa kanila, di tayo dapat magulat kung dumami ang bilang in next few weeks. The wind is at their backs, ang incoming pangulo kapartido nila (The LP is a minority party for now. But the president-elect comes from their ranks so we should not be surprised if its ranks swell in the next few weeks. The wind is at their backs because they are partymates of the incoming president)," he said. Because of this, he said Belmonte has a better chance of snaring the speakership, at least in theory. Mrs. Arroyo’s critics had accused her of running for Congress so she can have her allies move to a shift to a parliamentary form of government, under which she can run for Prime Minister. While Mrs. Arroyo had served in Congress as senator, this will be her first stint as a member of the House of Representatives. For its part, the LP has begun exploring options to ensure it has the numbers for the speakership. On Friday, Aquino said he is open to the LP having an alliance with the Nacionalista Party and other parties in the House of Representatives. Olivar said that while the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD and its allies presently have the numbers to dominate, many of its members are likely to bolt the party for the LP and its allies. “Napakaraming may ugaling balimbing, di natin sila masisisi (There are turncoats but we cannot blame them).... This is something we should understand and make allowances for," he said. Arroyo to start from ‘bottom’ While she may have served more than nine years as president, Olivar said Mrs. Arroyo may have to face the “usual challenges" as a neophyte member of the House of Representatives. Olivar said Mrs. Arroyo will be “no different from any newcomer" and will have to earn the support of colleagues for bills she wants to pass. “She will have to face the usual challenges not only of drafting her own (legislative bills) but garnering support from her colleagues para maging batas ang kanyang panukala, whether siya ay dating pangulo o hindi (She has to face the usual challenges not only of drafting her own bills but garnering support from her colleagues so her bills can be passed into law. This is regardless of whether she is a former president or not)," he said. Palace expectations for 15th Congress Olivar said Malacañang has high expectations for the 15th Congress, which he said should take legislative action to address the deficit and increase potential revenue. He said this includes considering an increase in the expanded value-added tax (EVAT) rate or deferring legislation that reduces revenues. A second priority is to strengthen the education system while a third is to improve the investment climate. He said the fourth is to address the power and water situation, including considering the peaceful use of nuclear power. —LBG, GMANews.TV