Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre

HOUSE Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. is confident the country will have its first parliamentary election next year.

Asked by local reporters if he will be the Prime Minister, de Venecia remarked: “Anggapo tan ya ambisyon ko. (I don’t have that ambition) But I pray to the Lord and let the Lord decide my fate and my destiny. I am just an instrument of the Lord in improving the lives of the people.”

De Venecia said not only will parliamentary elections push through next year, so will the local elections.

He said the people’s initiative will start this month or early April. Campaign period will be for two months. The people will decide by June or July whether they are for charter change or not specifically on the provision concerning the shift from presidential bicameral government to a parliamentary unicameral form of government

“Impeachment, EDSA 1, 2, 3, 4, coup attempts, destabilization. Yan ang mga sakit ng presidential government. Kapag nanalo ang yes, we will have the first free unicameral parliament and this will start in the Philipines,” he remarked.

“Anggapo lay senado ya magugulo tan House of Representatives ya nu maminsan met et magugulo met ira. Mankukulkol iran naynay kanyan agla unaasensoy Pilipinas.

Meantime, he said he welcomes the challenge if and when Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin S. Lim decides to run for congressman of the fourth district.

“Marakep no gabay to met su unsubok pian na testing no sarag ton talaga. Nakaukulan balet apigeren to ni so ciudad na Dagupan. Sangka importantian tan,” he remarked.

“We welcome all challenges in Pangasinan. I ran before as independent candidate and I won. I run as free zone candidate, I won. Say importante mansisirbi tayod karaklan,” he added.

De Venecia earlier in the day inaugurated a city water district pumping station at barangay Bonuan Binloc. The pumping station is 200 meters deep with 5-kilometer pipelines to provide clean water for residents of Bonuan Binloc.