On Speakership issue
TACLOBAN CITY- Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico ‘Mic’ Petilla is willing to support the speakership bid of Rep.Ferdinand Martin ‘FM” Romualdez on condition that he will espouse programs similar with those of his administration.
Rep. Romualdez (1st district) is considered to be among the leading contenders for the Speakership for the incoming 18th Congress, a post currently occupied by outgoing congresswoman, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The Petillas and the Romualdezes are not politically allies and though they have yet to contest in same post in Leyte, they have figured in a dummy political war by fielding their candidates for other elective posts like for mayor.
And of the five congressional representatives of Leyte, to include the party-list An Waray, only Romualdez is not within the camp of the Petillas.
Two of them are relatives of the governor, Vicente ‘Ching’ Veloso (3rd district), who is an uncle, and Carl Nicholas Cari (5th district), a nephew.
The two other congressional representatives of Leyte are reelected Rep. Lucy Torres Gomez (4th district) and Karen Javier, a neophyte politician who defeated incumbent congressman Henry Ong for the second district.
Gov. Petilla, who just won on his third and last term during the recently-concluded elections, said that he would support on the Speakership bid of Romualdez if all his programs would ‘align’ with his programs and that of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“It’s ok(for him to become Speaker) but he should have programs that are align with that of the administration of President Duterte like anti-insurgency and poverty alleviation, two programs that we in Leyte are also pushing,” Petilla said.
“I hope he will,” the governor added.
The governor said that during the May 13 elections, he supported the senatorial bid of Romualdez’ cousin, outgoing Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos.
“I supported Imee during the last elections who is a Waray-Waray who I’m sure will help us, to some extent,” he said.
Marcos placed third behind Senator Cynthia Villar and former special assistant to Pres. Duterte Christopher ‘Bong’ Go.
