Liberal Party chooses Sonny Belmonte as bet for speaker

MANILA, Philippines - The Liberal Party (LP) has formally chosen outgoing Quezon City Mayor and Congressman-elect Feliciano Belmonte Jr. as its candidate for speaker of the House of Representatives.

The decision was made on Wednesday night during a caucus of more than 60 LP leaders at their party headquarters in Cubao, Quezon City.

LP standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who has apparently won the presidency, and his running mate Sen. Mar Roxas, who is party president, presided over the caucus.

“We will support him, we will campaign for him and I am confident that he will emerge as the speaker,” Roxas said.

The choice of Belmonte became unanimous after Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III, party spokesman, withdrew his speakership bid.

Belmonte thanked Tañada and his other LP colleagues for their trust and support.

In an interview over radio station dzRH yesterday, the mayor expressed confidence he would win the speakership.

He said he has been talking to several groups of incoming House members, including those belonging to the Nacionalista Party (NP), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino. He said he even had “advance talks” regarding the speakership issue with NP president Sen. Manuel Villar Jr.

“In the case of Lakas, we are talking to its members individually, not as a group. Kasi may reyna pa sila (they still have a queen),” he said, apparently referring to President Arroyo.

He said he has many friends in Lakas whom he could convince to vote for him as speaker.

“Remember that I was Lakas executive vice president and served as speaker during the 11th Congress,” he added.

At the same time, Belmonte revealed that if elected speaker, he would consider suggestions for reforms like reducing the number of House committees.

“Otherwise, it will be the same banana,” he said.

Sources in Belmonte’s camp told reporters that their speakership candidate is practically assured of victory.

They said they have already secured the commitment of at least 121 congressmen, in addition to 46 LP members, or a total of 165. The House would be composed of 280 members. It would take 141 votes to elect a speaker.

Of the 165 committed votes, the sources said 40 would come NPC, 23 from NP, at least 10 from party-list groups, and 46 from Lakas.

“I am sure more Lakas members will opt to support Congressman Belmonte,” one LP recruiter said.

Belmonte would likely face Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman of Lakas in the speakership race.

The administration party has reportedly decided to field Lagman after Mrs. Arroyo refused to run for speaker and opted to be an ordinary House member.

The Albay congressman told the Serye Café news forum in Quezon City yesterday that he would give Belmonte a “good fight.”

“We have 109 members and we are recruiting from other political groups and party-list representatives,” he said.

Lagman said he did not foresee an exodus of Lakas members to the LP.

However, he said he expects 10 to 15 percent defections.

If Lagman loses to Belmonte, he will become House minority leader, a job that Belmonte once held.