HOUSE Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. said he is inviting his detractors who are seeking to unseat him for a voting on the floor in the House of Representatives to really know who between him and Davao City Congressman Prospero Nograles has the numbers.

In a patch phone interview over a local radio station, Bombo Radyo Dagupan, De Venecia said that he, being the incumbent champion; expects the challengers to present their challenge before the floor so that voting can be done.

“They can do it either on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and I am ready,” he said.

He added that if Nograles really has more than 121 congressmen going for him, then they should sit down and vote and elect the next Speaker.

De Venecia recalled that a few months’ ago during the fight for speakership, the group of Congressman Pablo Garcia of Cebu was also saying they have the numbers, but eventually Garcia withdrew after he sensed that he had only a few congressmen on his side.

The House Speaker, who is congressman of the fourth district of Pangasinan, revealed he was invited to Malacañang by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, along with Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Trade Secretary Peter Favila and Majority Leader Art Defensor.

“The meeting went well and the President repeatedly said that she is supporting my speakership against Congressman Nograles, “De Venecia said.

He said the President and himself (de Venecia) met again last Sunday and this time, together with former President Fidel Ramos.
President Arroyo is the chairman of the ruling party Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats while Ramos is the chairman emeritus. De Venecia is the Lakas CMD national president.

On the speakership issue, De Venecia said President Arroyo promised to talk to her son Reps. Mikey Arroyo and Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo to stop campaigning for Nograles.

Mikey took a leave of absence from Lakas CMD while Diosdado and their uncle Ignacio or Iggy are with the Kabalikat ng Mamamamayang Pilipino (Kampi) which is now allegedly supporting Nograles.

The Speaker said he made Nograles as house majority leader and chairman of the committee on appointments but added that sometimes people forget because of their ambition.

De Venecia thanked the people of Pangasinan, especially from his own fourth district, for rallying behind hin in this new challenge to his house leadership.

All the five congressmen of Pangasinan are with him, he said, and that the 30 congressmen from Northern Luzon, belonging to the so-called Solid North, have backed him in this speakership fight, if any.

“The Northern Luzon congressmen signed a manifesto pledging their support and 30 out of 30 congressmen signed,“ he added.

At the same time, De Venecia expressed hope the rumor is not true that he is being eased out as Speaker of the House as a form of revenge because of the testimony of his son, Jose De Venecia III, in the Senate about the National Broadband Network deal.

“I hope it is not true because Joey had said it all in the Senate investigation. My son had already done his part, his duty,” the elder De Venecia said. (PNA)