JDV won’t be a big loss if ousted – Palace exec

A senior Malacañang official and a member of the Lakas-CMD party said Saturday that even if Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr. is ousted as Speaker, the House leader would be no big loss to the ruling Lakas party. Chief presidential legal counsel Sergio Apostol said the Palace is not worried in case De Venecia decides to turn against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Apostol said the Palace does not fear the prospect of De Venecia joining the opposition and exposing supposed Palace irregularities because the Palace “has nothing to hide." Besides, he said what is going on in the party now is a “healthy political exercise." He also said the Palace expects to conduct a “loyalty check" of sorts in Lakas on February 7, when the party holds a major gathering. Apostol said that if De Venecia does not show up in that gathering, he could be replaced anytime, most likely by executive vice president and Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. Also Saturday, the head of the influential religious group El Shaddai called on leaders of Malacañang and the ruling Lakas party to solve the speakership row soonest. Radio dzBB reported Saturday night that El Shaddai head Mariano “Mike" Velarde declined to go beyond that, saying he does not want to dabble in tightly contested political rows like this. He said he can only advise all concerned to finish the problem soonest for the sake of the economy, and that he is leaving the details to the parties concerned. - GMANews.TV