Pampanga Rep. Gonzales: Next Speaker should come from PDP-Laban

Pampanga Representative Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales believes that if ever he does not get elected as House Speaker for the 18th Congress, a fellow lawmaker from the ruling PDP-Laban party should take the post.

Gonzales is one of the three lawmakers from the President's party who are vying for the speakership post, the others are Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco and Davao Del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez.

He said that only one of them will be the official nominee of the party for speaker.

"[Pero] kung may pagkakataon na makausap ko ang Pangulo, isa lang ang pakiusap ko sa kanya: Mr. President, kung pwede, hindi ko ipapakiusap ang sarili ko maging Speaker. Ang pinapakiusap ko, ang dapat maging Speaker ay tiga-PDP-Laban," Gonzales said.

"Because this is your party, at ang magiging Speaker, siya ang magtutuloy sa mga magagandang program niyo, magpapalakas at makikipaglaban sa mga programa. Yun ang pwede kong sabihin sa kanya," he added.

Duterte has earlier met with the two other Speaker aspirants and Leyte Representative-elect Martin Romualdez in his working visit to Japan. Gonzales said that the three lawmakers specifically called for this meeting.

The President, however, chose not to pick anyone of them to endorse for the speakership, said Gonzales, as they are all "qualified."

Nevertheless, Gonzales said he is worthy of the position for the reason that unlike any of the other possible candidates, he has no business to protect. He likewise does not come from a political family.

"I'm here to serve," he said.

Gonzales met with the members of the Party-list Coalition earlier in the day to talk to them about his legislative agenda and plans for the next Congress.

Velasco, Romualdez and Cayetano have earlier met with the same coalition.—LDF, GMA News