By Sammy F. Martin
MANILA, June 29 (PNA) — Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Monday said that he is confident that a big majority of congressmen remain supportive on his leadership and the rumor of coup de etat against him is just a fiction.
“I don’t think there will be any changes at all in the 16th Congress. In fact I came from a meeting with some congressmen, some of them belong to UNA [United Nationalist Alliance] and they even told me that they are behind me and I will remain as their speaker,” Belmonte told reporters in a press conference.
He said that he sees and feel no movement to oust him in his seat despite his earlier pronouncement that he is ready to vacate his post should there be be any.
The speaker claimed that “loyalty check” is not necessary because he was assured by a big bulk of lawmakers that any attempt on his seat will go nowhere because they have no numbers.
“In fact earlier today, I exchange pleasantries with some congressmen and some of them from UNA and I see no animosity what so ever. In fact one of the most respected members of UNA, Paranaque City Rep. [Gus] Tambunting told me that I am his speaker,” Belmonte recalls.
When asked about his reaction on the pronouncement of Vice President Jejomar Binay that he will name Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco as the next speaker should he win the election, he said it is ill-advised.
According to Belmonte, then President Erap Estrada promised then Makati City Rep. Joker Arroyo that if he is elected president, he will anoint him as the speaker.
“Toby [Tiangco] is qualified to be the speaker but I have said in the past that Erap [Estrada] promised it to Joker [Arroyo] but end up with nothing and he end up backing [Manny] Villar,” the speaker said.
He explained that from a tactical point of view, it is not good because “there might be some people sympathetic to him who would also aspire for the position, in effect, Binay already preempted it.”
“I don’t like to be giving pre advised but it is just an observation,” he stressed. (PNA)