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Business
Wednesday, May 29,2OI9
Insght
r Rivals for speakership
bu,ving votes at P1M?
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GOINC for brokel
Facing an uphill batde to tegain his old positioo, formet
speaket Pantaleon Alvarez claimed yestetday that as much as
P500,000 to P1 milion is being dangled by some people to buy
the l'otes of congressmen i-n the speakership race.
"Like what I've been told by some colleagues, I've heatd that
someone is offering P500,000 per congtessman while (another
one) is dangling P1 million per congressman," Alvatez said in
a television.
Alvarez is gunning for the speaketship along with Reps.
Alan Peter Cayetano Q..IP, Tagurg-Pateros); Ferdinand Martin
Romualdez (I-akas, Marinduque); and Lord Alan Velasco @DP-
Laban, Mariflduque) .
The former speaker refused to identifi the contenders alleg
edly engaged in vote buying, saying doing so is useless because
"no one srill admit it."
The money is being offered in exchange for sigaing a "mani-
festo of support," said Alvarez, who was ousted last year and
replaced by Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Artoyo.
If Alvarez' claim is true, a candidate may have to speod morc
or less P300 million to secure the position shce more than 300
representatives are expected to sit in the 18th Congress.
Alvatez, however, said he does not believe that congressmen
rvill automatically vote for a candidate even aftet teceiwilg
money from him.
In an eadier interview with ANQAlrnlez said he never asked
his fundets to offer the same amount to his colleagues because
"if we do that, we will be compromising the position of the
See RlVArS ) Paee Bl

RIVALS Inday Sara."

"People say it might be a dis-
the speakership issue while Ro-
mualdez, thtough intermediaries,
who said their group will vote
a bloc,
as

speaketship."
Velascq the personal choice of
presidential daughter and Davao
City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio,
denied that he was giving away cash
to secure the speaker's post.
"Nq I'm not givingaway P1 mil-
lion," he told ANC. "With respect
to congressmen, they won't go to
that qpe of willy dilly just to get
the votes."
Velasco said House members
have theL own vie.rs and "I don't
think congressmen can just be
bought that easily."
He said the difference between
him Romualdez is that he is "a loyal
ftiend to the President aod Mayor
advantage if I become speaker
because I'm very close to the
President," he said. "I'm saying
it's actually an adlzntage for me to
be close to the President because
at least I catr talk &ecdy to the
President vhen it comes to the
problems of the House."
The President on Monday said
that before the elections, Cayetaoo
and Velasco both discussed the
speakership with him but he never
made any commitment that he
would support any of them since
it was still uncetain if they would
rvin the elections.
Duterte said that after the elec-
tions, Alr,arez talked to him about
had also signified interest about
the post.
While his daughter is for Velas-
cq tlle President has chosen not
to "anoint" a candidate and just
let them batde it out.
Minority leader Danilo Suatez,
who is known for his closeqess to
Speaker Gtotia Arroyo, eadier said
Romualdez has the numbers to win
the speaker's post since atIeastl.26
lawmakers have already signed a
manifesto of support for him.
l,astweek, VeJasco and Cayeano
met with members of the 54-man
Party-list Coalitioo Foundation,
Ioc. (PCFI) Ied by Rep. Mikee
Romero of 1-Pacman paty-list
Rep. Alftedo Gatbin (PL, Ako
Bicol), spokesman for tl.re group,
said that aftet a meeting yestetday,
the group decided that it $/ants to
retain all the 32 positions that they
have are occupying irr the 17ti
Congtess.
These 32 posts include those in
the House committee on suf&age
and electotal reform; commit-
tee on coopeiatives; committee
on women and gender equality;
committee on govefnment reoi-
ganization; micro, medium and
small enterprises development;
commiftee on overseas workers
affaits; committee on poveny aI-
leviation and others.

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