JDV's wife running for Congress under NPC

MANILA, Philippines - The wife of former Speaker Jose de Venecia has joined the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and will run as congresswoman in the fourth district of Pangasinan.

Gina de Venecia attended the Christmas party-cum-nomination of Sen. Loren Legarda as the party’s vice presidential candidate Monday night where NPC members also endorsed the senatorial candidacies of Vicente “Tito” Sotto and Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Plaza.

The former Speaker is now on his third and last term as Pangasinan congressman.

In an interview, NPC spokesman Rex Gatchalian said Mrs. De Venecia joined the NPC because she “believes in its platforms and vision” for the Philippines, and indicated in her certificate of candidacy that she will be running under NPC.

De Venecia’s son Jose III, nicknamed Joey, is seeking a senatorial seat in the May 2010 elections under the Partido ng Masang Pilipino of former President Estrada.

Joey is the whistle-blower in the botched $329-million national broadband deal with China’s ZTE Corp.

The older De Venecia is also known to have an alliance with Sen. Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party. Both were former Speakers, although De Venecia served longer, or for 15 years that was only interrupted in 1998 when Villar took the helm of the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, Congress reporters also spotted Negros Occidental Rep. Julio “Jules” Ledesma IV – who rarely attends legislative sessions – in the party. Since the 14th Congress convened in July 2007, he was only seen twice in the session hall.

Ledesma was accompanied by his wife, actress Assunta de Rossi, in the party. He did not even attend the historic joint session of Congress, where the Senate and the House of Representatives deliberated the imposition of martial law in Maguindanao. He arrived late in the NPC Clubhouse on Balete Drive in Quezon City.

NPC officials and members from across the country met Monday night and nominated Legarda as their vice presidential candidate, along with their senatorial candidates.

“With your support and the support of the thousands of party officials and members throughout our country, I will fight to win this election, so that together, we can chart a new and better future for our nation,” Legarda told the crowd.

NPC founder Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco was absent in the event and was represented by his son, Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco.

Other NPC officials present were president Frisco San Juan, secretary-general Rizal Rep. Jack Duavit and NPC spokesman Valenzuela Rep. Rex Gatchalian.

Gatchalian said the NPC is giving its all-out support for their three national candidates (Legarda, Sotto and Plaza), who will all be running under a pro-poor and pro-environment platform.

“Sen. Legarda has been at the forefront in the fight against poverty. She is also behind Luntiang Pilipinas, a movement which she founded to promote public awareness on what’s happening to our environment, how to protect and preserve it,” he said.