(Eagle News) – Saying he could help unite a divided House of Representatives, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte said he might run for House Speaker in the 18th Congress if there is term-sharing of representatives from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao blocs.
“The House is divided. I might be able to help unite it. Pareho lang kaming binoto ng mga tao ah. Kung term sharing, term sharing na kaming lahat,” the young Duterte said in a statement defying the advice of his father, President Rodrigo Duterte, not to join the political ruckus for House Speakership.
“We are not talking about two persons here. We are talking about our beloved country. It is not about Speakership alone, but who is the right person to unite Congress and I hope those running for the Speakership stop influencing the Cabinet,” Rep. Duterte said.
He claimed he wants the House Speaker post to be shared by congressmen from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, and even the party-list groups.
“I will ask the Visayas bloc to elect their speaker for their term share, and so with the Mindanao bloc and the partylist coalition,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Earlier, the administration party PDP-Laban has announced its nominee, Marinduque Rep. Lord Alan Velasco.
But President Duterte said he would not be supporting any nominee for the House Speakership.
He also revealed there was an earlier proposal about a term-sharing scheme between Velasco and Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano.
According to the supposed proposal, Cayetano would sit as speaker for the first 15 months while Velasco will take over the remaining 21 months.
But Velasco’s supporters denied that they sat down formally to talk about this.
The other lawmakers vying for the House Speakership are Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, former House Speaker and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez Jr, and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales.
-President Duterte tells Paolo, “I’ll resign if you run”-
President Duterte on May 27, during an oath-taking ceremony of new government officials in Malacanang, said he would resign if his son would run for House Speakership.
“Itong si Paolo, sinabi ko sa kanya: If you run for speakership, let me know. Kasi kung tatakbo ka, magre-resign ako. Kasi marami na tayo. Nandyan na ang kapatid mo na mayor. So uneasy,” the President said.
