Sara Duterte's bet for speaker says youth should lead House | ABS-CBN

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Sara Duterte's bet for speaker says youth should lead House

Sara Duterte's bet for speaker says youth should lead House

ABS-CBN News

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Updated May 28, 2019 11:47 AM PHT

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MANILA -- A congressman who enjoys the backing of President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter to become the speaker of the House of Representatives said Tuesday it was time for a young lawmaker to lead the chamber.

Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, 41, said that if successful, he would be the second youngest speaker, after former president Sergio Osmeña, who was 29 when he led the chamber in 1907 when it was called the National Assembly.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio had called Velasco the "next speaker" in campaign hustings for her Hugpong ng Pagbabago, which swept the May 13 senatorial elections.

"The youth wants to be heard. Putting me as speaker of the House, that's a good way for the youth to be heard," Velasco told ANC's Headstart.

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Duterte-Carpio's support is a "plus" for his campaign to be speaker, Velasco said, adding he would "talk to all the party leaders and ask them to back me up."

"I guess, that really sealed the deal," Velasco said of Duterte-Carpio's backing.

Velasco is going up against Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte, who was ousted as speaker in 2018; former Foreign Affairs Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano of Taguig; and Ferdinand Martin Romualdez of Leyte, who enjoys the backing of outgoing Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her allies.

"I'll be a consensus builder. I'll be a listening speaker. On top of listening, I will be very decisive," Velasco said.

While critics could see his closeness to the President and his family as a disadvantage, Velasco said, "It's an advantage for me, I can talk directly to the President when it comes to the problems of the house."

Velasco said he was introduced to the Duterte family by the Secretary to the Cabinet, Karlo Nograles. He said he and his family were once invited to a Christmas Eve dinner at the President's Davao City home.

The lawmaker also hosted campaign sorties for Duterte-Carpio's Hugpong ng Pagbabago.

Velasco said he also named his infant daughter after Duterte Carpio.

"It's mainly about my respect for Mayor Inday Sara," he said.

He said he asked the mayor to be a godmother to her namesake, to which Duterte-Carpio replied jokingly: "Siguro naman, ninang ako, pangalan ko nasa bata na 'yan."

(I hope I'm a godmother because we share the same name.)

"She's clearly tough. Deep down inside, she's a very nice girl, very funny, very down to Earth," he said.

During the campaign, Duterte-Carpio ate at roadside canteens or carinderias and stayed in 2-star hotels. She also shuttled between venues on board a motorcycle, according to Velasco.

Duterte-Carpio reportedly backed Speaker Arroyo when she ousted Alvarez in 2018.

Asked about Duterte-Carpio's role as House "kingmaker," Velasco said, referring to Arroyo by her nickname, "You have to ask GMA about that."

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