Palace: Alvarez foe Floirendo eyeing Speaker post

Davao del Norte 2nd district Representative Antonio "Tonyboy" Floirendo is eyeing to become the next Speaker of the House of Representatives, Malacañang said Monday, even as it assured that President Rodrigo Duterte will not meddle in the selection process.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Floirendo confirmed to him in a phone call that the latter was seeking the post to be vacated by former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in June.

"He is vying for the Speakership - that will be for now - as far as I know...When I received that message [about Floirendo gunning for Speaker post], I called him up and he said yes and he said he will issue a statement on the matter," Panelo said at a news conference.

He added President Rodrigo Duterte will not interfere in the process of selecting the next Speaker.

"He never does that. He allows everybody to seek whatever position they want and let the constituency of that class decide," Panelo said.

Floirendo was President Duterte's biggest campaign contributor in the 2016 elections with a total donation of P75 million. He is also a critic of former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, his friend turned enemy whose ouster allegedly had his backing.

Floirendo denied knowing anything about the plot to unseat Alvarez.

Duterte's daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, meanwhile, has endorsed former Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez and Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco for the post.

The election of the new Speaker will be held during the opening of the 18th Congress in July. — RSJ, GMA News