To sustain the country’s economic growth until the end of the current administration, a lawmaker on Thursday urged President Duterte to endorse an economist as House Speaker.
During the Pandesal Forum held in Quezon City on Thursday, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said the second half of the Duterte administration will play a big part in the success of the current government.
“If he wants to achieve his goals for the country, it is important to have legislative support of the supermajority in the lower chamber,” he said.
“All previous administrations’ GDP performed best during its third to fourth year. This year will be the banner of the President, he needs to sustain GDP growth and for the economy to take off,” he added.
Salceda reiterated and said Duterte should now intervene and endorse his candidate.
He also said the lower chamber needs a leader who will push for the economic measures of the administration.
“Rep. Martin Romualdez as a Speaker is good for the economy, as well as the economic and business leaders concerned,” said Salceda who expressed full support to the speakership of Romualdez.
“It is very important to a Speaker to mobilize the whole Congress to efficiently and effectively pass all the agenda of the President,” he added.
According to Salceda, there are still 20 bills that need to be passed to further strengthen the country’s economy and attract investments.
“There are several measures that we really need to pass such as the amendments to the PSA act, amendments to Public Service Act, the proposed Retail Trade Liberalization Act and amendments to Foreign Investments Act,” Salceda said.
Delays
However, Salceda admitted that the organization of the House of Representatives is now facing delays due to speakership issue.
In the same forum, the lawmaker said there’s little time left after the
election of the Speaker since the organization of the
lower chamber is first in the agenda when the 18th Congress convenes on July
22.
“During the time of [Speakers Manny] Villar, [Jose] de Venecia and [Pantaleon] Alvarez by May or June we already know who will be the next Speaker and chairmen of the committees,” Salceda said.
“This is the first time that it [choosing candidate for Speaker] is a little bit late,” he added.
Speakership race
Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Michael Defensor said Romualdez now has the support of more than 160 congressmen in the speakership race.
“I have seen the manifesto of support for Cong. Martin and I saw the signatures of 167 congressmen from different political parties and blocs of the 18th Congress. An initial list of 80 congressmen was shown to the President last month, but the numbers have grown to 167 as of the moment,” Defensor said during the forum.
Also, Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro said Romualdez has the numbers that are more than “enough and determinative to catapult him to the speakership.”
At least 153 votes out of 305 lawmakers are needed to secure the lower chamber’s highest position.
Term sharing
Defensor, meanwhile, cautioned his fellow legislators against packaging term sharing and other deals related to the speakership of 18th Congress.
“In 1998, President Duterte was one of only five who voted for Joker Arroyo. There was no concession or promise of anything for his vote. In fact, Joker lost and those who voted including then-Congressman and now President Duterte stood proud among his peers,” he said.
Sen. Koko Pimentel said the PDP-Laban will opt for a term-sharing deal with Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano if their party-mate, Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, will be the first to hold the speakership post.
Under the term-sharing agreement, Cayetano would occupy the Speaker post for the first 15 months while the remaining 21 months of the 36th month of the 18th Congress will be taken by Velasco.