Lakas aims for 130 House seats

The administration Lakas-NUCD party is aiming to win from 110 to 130 congressional seats so it can keep the House speakership, the fourth-highest post in the land.

"If we win 130 seats, we will have the majority and the speakership fight is finished," former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. told reporters over the weekend in Dagupan City, where senatorial candidates of the ruling People Power Coalition campaigned.

However, he said if the administration party is unable to accomplish that, it should elect at least 110 members so it will have a fighting chance in the battle for the top House post.

De Venecia is seeking his old congressional seat in the fourth district of Pangasinan. With the support of his party and President Arroyo, he is planning to gun again for the speakership.

He keeps a list of all congressional candidates all over the country, and according to him, Lakas would be able to elect 110 congressmen.

That number will not compose the majority of the 250-member House, but De Venecia said with 110 congressmen on his side, he would be able to forge an alliance with smaller parties to bag the speakership.

So far, he is the only dominant Lakas figure gunning for the fourth-highest elective post.

"We should have an effective working majority in both the Senate and the House. That is the only way we can push for the programs of the Arroyo administration, including the peace process," De Venecia said.

The former speaker will have a formidable opponent in Tarlac Rep. Gilberto Teodoro Jr., a young Harvard-trained Bar topnotcher who chairs the executive committee of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

Teodoro is banking on the financial support and the remaining political clout of businessman and San Miguel Corp. chairman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr.

Cojuangco, founder and chairman emeritus of NPC, is an uncle of the Tarlac congressman. He is a friend of ousted President Joseph Estrada.
Rep. Rodolfo Albano III (NPC, Isabela) said their party hopes to elect at least 80 House members.

"If we have 80 congressmen, it could be easy for us to enter into a partnership with smaller political parties like the Liberal Party," Albano said.

He said NPC leaders have started talks with the Liberals and young lawmakers on a possible alliance.

"Our candidate for Speaker will get the support of young congressmen. Like most of us, Rep. Teodoro is new in politics," he added.

Albano stressed that in addition to neophyte congressmen, those belonging to the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) "will be with us, plus several party-list representatives expected to be seated in the House."

Members of the LDP, which is led by former Estrada administration Executive Secretary Edgardo Angara, are considered natural allies of the NPC.

Several party-list groups, which are expected to win the required number of votes for representation in the House, are pro-Estrada. These include Mamamayang Ayaw sa Droga, whose nominee is actor and former Estrada adviser for youth and sports Richard Gomez.