Arroyo interested in becoming House Speaker, ally Sandoval says

Dubai: There is big possibility that outgoing Philippine President Gloria Arroyo will remain in power even after her term ends in June this year as she guns for the speakership of the lower house of Congress, a ranking member of her political party revealed over the weekend.

Arroyo, who took power after a civilian uprising ousted President Joseph Estrada in 2001, won her own six-year term in 2004.

The Philippine Constitution bars a president from seeking re-election prompting Arroyo to stand for election in May as representative in Pampanga.

"I believe that Lakas [Arroyo's party] will not disintegrate because she will be a [representative] and there is a very big chance that she will be speaker," said Malabon City Representative Federico Sandoval II in a television interview.

‘Stroke of genius'

Sandoval, a member of Arroyo's ruling party, said her decision to seek a congressional seat was a "stroke of genius," saying this will allow Lakas to retain its political power even if former defence secretary Gilbert Teodoro loses.

Teodoro was ranked fourth in the December 2009 survey of the Social Weather Station.

"Nobody ever thought that this could happen — that we'll have an outgoing president who will remain in control of the ruling coalition because she'll be the Speaker of the House of Representatives," he said.

Political analysts agree that Lakas will continue to hold the numbers even if either Senator Benigno ‘Noynoy' Aquino III of the Liberal Party (LP) of Senator Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party (NP) win the elections.

A political strategist involved in the national elections, who requested anonymity, told Gulf News that there are many areas where the LP and the NP have no candidates.

"We should also take note that many party members who were members of Arroyo's cabinet are also eyeing congressional positions, hence we can safely say that they [Lakas] will have the numbers when the next Congress convenes," the strategist said.

Professor Alex Magno, a respected political scientist, said 85 per cent of the congressional seats are presently occupied by Lakas party members.

"No doubt, the next Congress will have a Lakas majority. The (next president) will have to deal with Lakas as a coalition partner," Magno said.

Another political scientist however, sees it differently.

Professor Clarita Carlos, president of the Centre for Asia Pacific Studies and an expert in Philippine political dynamics, said she's seeing a massive defection of Lakas members to the next president's party.

She said she doubts whether Arroyo — as speaker — would be able to wield the same power and influence or match that of her successor.