Aquino wants say in House committee heads

MANILA, Philippines - President-elect Benigno Aquino III wants to have a say in the selection of the chairmen of certain committees in the House of Representatives.

He had asked to be consulted on committees that have to do with governance like appropriations, ways and means and good government, outgoing Quezon City Mayor and representative-elect Feliciano Belmonte Jr. told ABS-CBN News Channel.

Belmonte quoted Aquino telling them that he prefers to be consulted on these committees that have tremendous impact on his governance.

Aquino and the Liberal Party (LP) have chosen Belmonte as their candidate for speaker.

Belmonte said Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, a long-time LP leader, would most likely get the chairmanship of the committee on appropriations.

The committee is the panel that scrutinizes the annual budget that the president proposes to Congress. The ways and means committee handles tax proposals, while the good government committee, the counterpart of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, is empowered to investigate irregularities in government.

Belmonte said Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali Gonzales II would get the position of majority leader.

“I think he has always been No. 2. He will be No. 1 in the next Congress,” he said, referring to the fact that Gonzales is now senior deputy majority leader.

He said another LP original, Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III of Quezon province, has not signified what committee he would like to chair.

Tañada is reportedly interested in either the committee on agriculture or the chairmanship of the House panel in the Commission on Appointments, the body empowered to confirm or reject Cabinet appointments and major promotions in the military and the diplomatic service.

Belmonte said political groups joining the majority alliance like Lakas-Kampi, Nacionalista Party and Nationalist People’s Coalition would be allotted committee chairmanships and membership.

They will be treated equally, he added.

Asked if he considers himself a shoo-in for the speakership, he said he was confident that he has great chances of becoming speaker again.

He served as speaker for five months in the 11th Congress.

As for reports that most Lakas-Kampi members would want to join the majority as ruling party members to preserve the administration party, Belmonte said he was not sure if that is their intention.

Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino was quoted as saying that while they would join Belmontes majority group, they would not resign from Lakas-Kampi so as to preserve the ruling party.

Belmonte also said he expects no acrimony with the minority group, which Representatives Edcel Lagman of Albay and Danilo Suarez of Quezon would lead.

“Ive worked with both of them,” he said.