May the best man win as Speaker of the House

I don’t think Malacañan is neutral on the issue of House leadership. We weren’t born yesterday. The moment the president and his subalterns start calling the members of the incoming Congress, the next speaker will emerge. By this time, the only remaining bets are Congressmen Alan Velasco of Marinduque and Martin Romualdez of Leyte.

By this time, the minds of most of the members of the incoming Congress are made up about who shall be their choice. But their initial preference will most probably give in. There are five gentlemen who are being considered for the post or who are aspiring to be elected as such. This position is very important because it is the third in the line of succession to the presidency. Should the president resign, die, or is incapacitated, and if both the vice president and the senate president would perish in whatever disaster or calamity (heavens forbid), then the Speaker of the House becomes the president of the republic, head of state, and head of government.

And so it is essential that our representatives should choose the best among the five aspirants: First, and my favorite of them all, is my former Law student in the UST Faculty of Civil Law, the youngest among the aspirants, Alan Velasco, son of the duly-elected governor of Marinduque, and married to a scion of a very rich family owning the biggest conglomerate in the country. Velasco is a lawyer who has been reelected as congressman representing the lone district of the island province of Marinduque. He is my favorite because I can talk to him anytime, I can call him and he is a very simple person, in sort of ways like our Edgar Labella, Mike Rama, or Junjun Davide. Velasco was the only ally of Koko Pimentel in the House when they were pushing for the presidency of Manong Digong in 2016. Inday Sara likes Alan a lot as speaker.

The second aspirant, and touted as having already the numbers to get the speakership, is Ferdinand Martin Romualdez who represents the first district of Leyte, including his aunt Imelda Marcos' beloved Tacloban. Martin ran for senator and lost and now he is back in the House. Of course, he is being supported by the Marcoses and their allies. He has the money and the wherewithal to clinch the post, but nobody knows until Malacañan starts calling Manong Digong's allies to the palace. I don't believe Sal Panelo when he says the usual line that Malacañan is neutral. Tell that to the marines. A sitting president would never leave the speakership to destiny. Whoever the Palace blesses will be it, or else it will be a turbulent last three years of the president in Malacañan.

I used to like Alan Peter Cayetano a lot (he was my choice for vice president), but he turned out to be another trapo and a family dynasty proponent. Imagine, he represents the first district of Taguig and Pateros while his wife Lani is representing the second (are they residing in two different houses?). His brother, Lino is the city mayor and his sister Pia is in the senate after being in the House. They are no different from the Marcoses and the Binays. He used to attack the Arroyos for their dynasty, now he is practicing the very thing he was denouncing. But I think the real fight is limited to the three with Alan Velasco and Romualdez leading the pack.

There is no chance for Bebot Alvarez, the fourth candidate for speaker because he has angered Inday Sara even more. Hugpong was defeated by the efforts of Alvarez in Davao del Norte. Even the Duterte financier Tonyboy Floirendo lost to Bebot's candidate. The fifth candidate to head the House, Aurelio Gonzalez from Pampanga, does not have a Chinaman's chance to win. His name is just being put forward because Luzon is left out in the fight for speaker. I think whoever Manong Digong blesses between Martin Romualdez or Alan Velasco will be it. Mark my words.