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uol{DAY JULY ts, 2019

ipscheme
uld stunt reforms
interests of legislators and
By Charmaine A. Tadalan lack of programmatic and disc!
Reporter
plined political parties, chaages
in House leadership as well as Sol'lE PnORmES lite tix rctonns on(o tered
committee chairs and member- rcsgh sailllE amid l€gishtlon.ln th€ fiEt h* ol

TI{E PLANNED term_sharinE of ships can cause discontinuities in Presidont Mlgo.n Dute e's llx-ye brllr.
policy agenda, resentments and
spea-ker aspirants T"g"; i; ;i;-
bighting within the coalition.-
trict n"p. ahn ret"" ;. a;;;' "We also do not know if, by
and Marinduque Reo. Lord el-
lan Jay Q. velasco could d -t the time there wilJ be a change ia
reform impetus i" ru r"*rlt i,in speak:rs' lhere will still be higlr
tbree years ot President RodriEi Presldential approval ratings and
R Duterles term. analysts s:d a supermajority coalition "
on Thursdav last week_ Ms. Atienza also noted that
the 2022 national elections could
Mr. Duterte on Mondav le(t
week slepped in to end aa impasse also distract lawmal<ers who will
seek r€election or higher ofrce. Sp€akeEhlp,
between the two speaf<er"frip UJs fiom S1/ I
by endorsing tvtr. c"v"t"oo Thisisalso trueas the coming
*n
lead the House of Representa- 2022.elections is an important
consideration for legislators. "They clearly are not on the tacldes the internal budget of the
tives in the first t5 months. a d
They balance their own inter_ same page as far as the direction House.
Mr. Velasco for the
""_"i"irn'
zi ests for survival and desire'for of the'House is concerned," Mr. "\ e will wait for the positions
'-"*hjl"";;;;#o"or"O
months ofthe 18,\ Corg;;;.
reele*ion o. ut""tion to ltgt Yusingco said in a separate e-mail. ofother House leaders from vari-
to push the President s lesi.lr- ",
Posts vis-a-vis the president's "A lack of coherence will be ous political parties ard influen-
popularity. public sentiments. palpable in the leadership of the tial blocs to determine if this is
tive agenda, universilv ;i;;
and strength ofpossible allies and HoR. Lawmakers will likely just a workable solution to ensute a
rhilippines poriticar sci""c"
interest orpressure groups." sit tight and do nothing. Their strong stable and non-disruptive
department ciairp""ro" rr.l""i"
Michael Henry Ll. yusingcq minds will already be focusing ou House leadership."
Ela L. Atienza saii i"
"" "_-"ii
that "based on recent historv anJ senior research fellow at lhe At- 2022. So they will be concelned Senator Aquilino L. Pimentel
the faet thal alliances in Corioess eneo policy Center. said differenL only about whatever pork they III,who heads the ruling Partido
can get." Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng
are usually based on trt. olor- objectives of two presumptive
larity of the President, p"tsonrt Toufu lgaders could impact de- Le''te l.t District Rep. Ferdi- Bayan as president, said leaders
- srred reforms. nand Martin G. Romualdez, who of the party met with Mr. Cayet-
"For sure the priority mea- is being eyed for the post of ma- anok camp on Thursday evening
sures by the administration jority leader, for his part,
said dis- to discuss ways to ensure smooth
will
be negatively impacted by the cussions are under way to try to transition amid a House leader-
term-sharing because the two limit House leadership changes ship change.
speakers have different objec- after Mr. Cayetaro's tern. "lf matagal ncng na-decide
tives," Mr. Yusingco said. "We are going to study tlte pro- , 'rzng (If it had been long decided
posal of incoming Speaker Cayet- by the) entire body na we will
Speakership, S1/4
ano to limit the leadership change chauge.orrr leader [in the House],
after 15 months to his position but we will not chang€ our
\t #sAn u)e Netil' and [to] the head of the House agenda, we will not change our
committee on accounls so that working stylg q/e will llot change
legislative operations will remain a lot of things, we are clear about
unhampered," Mr, Romualdez t]]e changes, then walang mang-
said in a mobile phone message, gugulo (it shouldn't be a n.ressy
refening to the committee that ttarsition)."