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| Lord Allan Velasco, acting as emcee in most of senatorial campaign rallies in different parts of the country |
Manila Bulletin, May 14, 2019
The speakership race is one candidate less after Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio “Tony Boy” Floirendo Jr. suffered a shocking re-election defeat in the hands of a candidate backed by the staunch political foe, former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.
Floirendo had aired his intention to seek the highest position in the House of Representatives and was among those expected to get the support of the Duterte administration.
However, Floirendo’s expected rivals in the speakership competition won their congressional heat. They are Majority Leader and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro of National Unity Party; PDP-Laban Reps. Lord Allan Velasco (Marinduque) and Ronaldo Zarmoa (San Juan); former Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano of Taguig-Pateros; and former minority leader Martin Romualdez (Lakas-CMD, Leyte).
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| Hugpong ng Pagbabago chairperson and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte |
Manila Bulletin, May 11, 2019
Unlike Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco (PDP-Laban, Marinduque)
and former House Minority Leader Martin Romualdez who are expected to win a
seat in the Lower House, former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez (PDP-Laban, Davao
del Norte); former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano (PDP-Laban,
Taguig-Pateros) and Ronaldo Zamora (PDP-Laban, San Juan) are campaigning hard
for a victory over their respective opponents.
Velasco is not expected to sweat it out against a little
known opponent for the lone congressional of Marinduque.
In fact, he was rarely seen campaigning for himself in the
province.
Instead, Velasco spent most of the time acting as emcee in
Hugpong ng Pagbabago rallies staged in different parts of the country.
Romualdez is virtually unchallenged in Tacloban City. He was
seen at the miting de avance of HNP held here on Thursday.
HNP chairperson and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte has
declared support for Velasco and Romualdez in their respective bids to become
speaker.
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| At a campaign rally in Malabon City |
However, Velasco has the upper hand in the speakership race
after President Duterte raised his hand in Bohol recently in his acknowledgment
of the young solon’s bid for the top post in the Lower House.
The presidential daughter has disclosed that she will back a
speakership candidate who will support the remaining legislative agenda of the
Duterte administration.
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| With Senator-Elect Bato de la Rosa (right) |
Manila Bulletin, March 22, 2019
Velasco: Speakership is destiny
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| Cong. Lord Allan |
CEBU CITY – Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco said
Friday he is grateful for the Hugpong ng Pagbabago endorsement of his
speakership bid but will leave it to destiny if he will make it to the top
House post.
Velasco, chairman of the House Committee on Energy, is seen
as a strong candidate for the top House of Representatives post after HNP
chairperson and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte endorsed him during a
well-attended Tagbilaran City rally on Tuesday.
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| With Senator JV Ejercito |
Duterte even raised Velasco’s hand in an apparent
demonstration of her personal support for the solon who is expected to win a
third term as Marinduque congressman.
“Speakership is destiny just like the presidency, just like
any other position,” said Velasco.
The incident came exactly a day after the presidential
daughter introduced former Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez the next speaker during
a huge campaign sortie in Tacloban City.
Romualdez, chairman of the Lakas-CMD party, welcomed the
endorsement as he confirmed he will seek the post that will be left by former
president and incumbent Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Party, founder of his
political party.
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| With Mayor Sara |
Facing the media, Duterte explained that Velasco earned an
affirmation of support because he is a member of the PDP-Laban, the political
party of her father, President Rodrigo Duterte.
With Duterte’s endorsement, Velasco and Romualdez are
predicted to be the frontrunners in the speakership race.
Velasco, who acts as the emcee in majority of HNP senatorial
campaign rallies, is assured of re-election as he is challenged by an unknown
bet.
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| With Senator Sonny Angara |
GMA NEWS Online, March 20, 2019
MAASIN, Southern Leyte - There is no frontrunner in the race
of the Speakership just yet, administration ally and Marinduque Representative
Lord Allan Velasco said after a campaign stop of administration coalition
Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) here.
Velasco made the comment less than a day after HNP’s
campaign manager, Davao city Mayor Sara Duterte, introduced former Leyte
Representative Martin Romualdez as the next Speaker of the House during the
group’s campaign stop in Tacloban city, Leyte.
Velasco, who has been serving as program emcee in HNP
campaign sorties, cited the instance wherein Mayor Sara and her father,
President Rodrigo Duterte, also introduced her as the next Speaker of the House
during his birthday in Marinduque last November.
“I have an election to win, I need to finish the local
campaign, win as Congressman before I run for Speaker…but at the end of the
day, Mayor Inday [Sara] supports anyone who is supporting the administration,”
Velasco, who skipped HNP's Tacloban campaign stop, told reporters.
“Martin Romualdez is supporting the administration. [Former
Foreign Affairs Secretary] Alan Cayetano is supporting the administration. I am
supporting the administration. She is endorsing anyone who is supporting the
administration. As of now, walang may inside track,” Velasco added.
Velasco then argued that Sara decided to campaign for the
administration Senate bets under the HNP slate not to push for an individual
but build a coalition among political parties who are supportive of President
Duterte’s administration.
“That is why there is HNP. We are trying to help the
President to put forward his programs. We are campaigning for the Senators [in
our slate] because we know they will be able to help the President with what he
wants to happen for the country thru relevant laws needed to run his programs,”
Velasco, also a member of the ruling party PDP-Laban which the President
chairs, said.
Velasco, however, conceded that himself, Romualdez and
Cayetano are the ones who already expressed interest in the post at this point.
“Anyone who is also interested in supporting the
administration, I’m sure, Mayor Inday will also endorse that person. Who are
the others? I would not know. I think it is just the three of us so far,”
Velasco said.
Likewise, Velasco also said that it would be better if the
next House Speaker will get to finish the three-year term rather than split it
between two persons.
“For the Senate, it [term-sharing] is okay because it is a
six year term [for each senator]. For the House, it is three-year term. That is
so short. We need stability,” Velasco said.
