De Venecia to run anew for Congress

DAGUPAN CITY — Former House Speaker Jose de Venecia is staging a comeback this May when he runs anew for congressman of Pangasinan’s fourth district.

And he vows to get the country’s fourth highest post — the House speakership — back.

De Venecia told reporters here that he has informed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of his plans.

"Our agreement from the very beginning is that I will run for Congress and then I will run for Speaker again," he said.

De Venecia’s announcement has put in limbo the re-election dreams of incumbent fourth district Rep. Benjamin Lim who was fielded by the Lakas-NUCD in the last elections after the former Speaker ran for president.

Lim earlier said he would seek another term to give in to the demands of various sectors who have egged him to stay on.

De Venecia said he might advice Lim to instead run for mayor of this city because incumbent Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. is in his last term.

He intimated that Fernandez may opt to run as a party-list representative to make it to Congress.

However, Lim may be having second thoughts in running for mayor since he would be going against tough opponents such as former Manila Times publisher Ermin Garcia Jr., Vice Mayor Teodoro Manaois, former Baguio City Mayor Jun Labo and businessman Alfredo Quinto.

"If (Lim) insists on seeking re-election, well that’s his problem, not mine," De Venecia said. — Eva de Leon