Outgoing President and incoming Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is not keen on running for House Speaker in the 15th Congress, according to her ally and political adviser. Presidential political affairs adviser and Lakas-Kampi-CMD vice president for recruitment and membership Prospero Pichay Jr. said Mrs. Arroyo made her decision at a meeting Tuesday night in Malacañang. GMA Network’s "Saksi" reported that it was the second meeting of the party this week regarding the matter. "Ang ating Pangulo ay nag-signify na she will just be the leader of the party kaya in-assume niya yung (Our President signified that she will just be the leader of the party so she assumed the) chairmanship of the party," Pichay said. He added that Mrs. Arroyo wants to be like Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born widow of assassinated Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who was immensely popular for taking over the party’s leadership when her husband was assassinated in 1991. While Pichay did not give further details of the meeting, he said many Lakas-Kampi-CMD members vowed to stay in the party if Mrs. Arroyo agreed to run for Speaker.
Prime Minister Arroyo? Mrs. Arroyo’s critics claim she will use the House of Representatives as a stepping stone to become prime minister, which is possible when her allies succeed in shifting the form of government to parliamentary. Amid the President’s reluctance to pursue the post, Pichay said she cannot stop her allies from pushing for her election to the top post at the House of Representatives. "You cannot stop the congressmen from encouraging her to run. Marami kasi dyan na aside from the fact na they are loyal to the party, they are also loyal to the President (Many of her allies are not only loyal to the party but also to her)," he said. Earlier this month, Mrs. Arroyo’s brother-in-law and reelected Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio Arroyo Jr.
said she is gunning for the House Speakership. Pichay also insisted that the 109 Lakas-Kampi-CMD members who won seats in the House of Representatives in the May 10 elections will be a "solid" bloc. "Right now we have the numbers," he said. In a radio interview Wednesday, Pichay said the party and its allies will be a "responsible opposition" that will not stand in the way of legislation. "We are a responsible opposition, hindi kami oppose ng oppose kung maganda sinusulong na panukalang batas (We are a responsible opposition. We will not oppose laws that are beneficial)," he said in an interview with radio dzXL Wednesday.
A good fight Other Lakas members who have expressed readiness to seek the top House post were Reps Edsel Lagman, Danny Suarez, Elpidio Barsaga Jr, and Pablo Garcia. But should Mrs. Arroyo change her mind and decide to go for the top post in the House, she could expect a stiff competition. Outgoing Quezon City mayor and incoming Congressman Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said in a statement last Monday he will give Mrs. Arroyo a "good fight." Belmonte is Liberal Party (LP)'s bet for speakership in the House of Representatives. "We'll give a good fight," Belmonte said
in an interview over GMA News' "Unang Hirit," adding that LP is eyeing alliances with other parties to beat Mrs. Arroyo.
— with Amita Legaspi/LBG/RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV 
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