Barely a month into his term, is House Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco making a list of lawmakers loyal to him and checking it twice?
Velasco met with leaders of major political parties and blocs Friday (November 20), a move seen as loyalty check among members of the 275-member strong supermajority.
Present in the meeting at the House of Representatives were leaders of the ruling PDP-Laban, Nacionalista Party, Liberal Party, National Unity Party Nationalist People’s Coalition and the Party-List Coalition.
Velasco held the meeting amid rumors he might be replaced as Speaker by Majority Leader Martin Romualdez. Quoting sources, broadcaster Deo Macalma earlier said a number of lawmakers were unimpressed by Velasco’s lackluster leadership and would prefer to have a more experienced politiko lead the House.
Velasco assumed the speakership last October in a controversial power struggle that saw the ouster of Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano as Speaker.
