It's official: Sonny Belmonte is LP's bet for House Speaker

Outgoing Quezon City Mayor and congressman-elect Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte Jr. will be the Liberal Party's official candidate for House Speaker in the 15th Congress. The LP made the announcement Thursday amid talks that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is Lakas-Kampi-CMD's bet for the Speakership, although Mrs. Arroyo is said to be reluctant to seek the House's top post. [See: Arroyo not keen on top House post, political adviser claims] Belmonte, who was congressman of the city's fourth district for three consecutive terms and held the Speakership briefly from January to June 2001, is set to return to the chamber in June after winning in his district by a landslide against two other opponents. LP president and vice presidential candidate Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas said in a statement that the decision was arrived at during a party caucus Wednesday night. LP standard bearer Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III was also at the caucus.

'Unanimous choice' Roxas said Belmonte got the "unanimous" endorsement of the 30 party members who attended the meeting. "Siya ang aming susuportahan, siya ang aming ikakampanya at nakakasiguro ako na siya ang lalabas na Speaker (We will support him, we will campaign for him and I am confident that he will emerge as the Speaker)," Roxas said. LP spokesman and Quezon Rep. Lorenzo "Erin" Tañada, who has earlier expressed interest in the Speakership, has decided to give way to Belmonte to ensure party unity, Roxas said. Belmonte, previously senior vice-president for external affairs of Lakas-Kampi-CMD and a close associate of President Arroyo, moved to the LP in late November before the filing of the certificates of candidacy. [See: Lakas exodus continues: Belmonte moves to LP] Roxas said he is confident Belmonte would snah the Speakership as several congressmen from Lakas-Kampi had expressed interest in joining the LP to get committee chairmanships. Belmonte himself had earlier said he is already courting the support of various officials for his possible bid for the Speakership. [See: Belmonte to Arroyo: Expect good fight for Speakership] LP ranks to grow? In the current Congress, there are about 20 LP congressmen. The figure is expected to rise to at least 38 based on proclaimed and leading congressional candidates of the LP. House members traditionally gravitate toward the political party of the sitting president. While he has not yet been proclaimed the winner of the presidential elections, Aquino is presumed to be the president-elect, with a five-million lead over his closest rival – former president Joseph Estrada – in the partial and unofficial tally of election returns. Roxas also expressed confidence Belmonte would defeat Mrs. Arroyo, who won the congressional seat for Pampanga's second district, if Lakas-Kampi fields her as its bet for Speaker. Lakas-Kampi stalwart and Occidental Mindoro Rep. Ma. Amelita Villarosa, incumbent deputy speaker, had said many administration congressman want no one else but Mrs. Arroyo to be their candidate for Speaker. But Mrs. Arroyo's political adviser, Lakas-Kampi-CMD vice president for recruitment and membership Prospero Pichay Jr., said Mrs. Arroyo is not keen on seeking the House leadership. "Ang ating Pangulo ay nag-signify na she will just be the leader of the party kaya in-assume niya yung (Our President signified that she will just be the leader of the party so she assumed the) chairmanship of the party," Pichay said Wednesday. Like Sonia Gandhi? Pichay said Mrs. Arroyo wants to be like Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born widow of assassinated Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who was immensely popular for taking over the party’s leadership when her husband was assassinated in 1991. But Pichay said many Lakas-Kampi-CMD members want her to seek the House's top post, and they have vowed to stay in the party if Mrs. Arroyo agrees to run for Speaker. Earlier this month, Mrs. Arroyo's brother in law, Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo, said he believes Mrs. Arroyo would seek the Speakership. [See: Arroyo likely to gun for House Speaker post] Mrs. Arroyo’s critics claim that once she is elected Speaker, she will lead Charter change efforts that would shift the form of government to parliamentary so she could be elected prime minister. — RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV