Contrary to an earlier claim by a party official, outgoing President and incoming Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo does not have the numbers to get herself elected as head of the House of Representatives. This was according to Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, who said this is probably the reason why President Arroyo is not keen on seeking the House Speaker post. “Naniniwala ako kasi unang-una, wala po silang numero at kung walang numero mapapahiya lang ang Presidente (I believe she won't run because they don't have the number),” Zubiri said at a weekly news forum at the Senate. “If she is an astute politician that I know she is, then she won't run if she knows she doesn't have the number,” added Zubiri, who also revealed his misgivings about how the administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD is being run. Presidential political adviser Prospero Pichay on Tuesday claimed that Lakas-Kampi-CMD has a solid bloc in House with 109 of their members winning a congressional seats in the recently concluded May 10 automated elections. But Zubiri said Quezon City Mayor and congressman-elect Feliciano Belmonte has a strong chance of becoming the next House Speaker since belongs to the same party, the Liberal Party, as the leading presidential candidate Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. Zubiri also said congressmen would most likely gravitate toward the candidate of the present administration. “It's very difficult to fight the Palace when you are a congressman, especially if you are after your entitlements, your pork barrel, your projects,” he said. He added that Malaca?ang, through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), has the “power of the purse.” “The House is supposed to have the power of the purse but actually it is controlled by the DBM which is under Malaca?ang, so napakahalaga na ang backer mo ay Palasyo (so it is important to be on Malaca?ang's side),” he said. Zubiri said Lakas-Kampi-CMD congressmen are prodding Mrs. Arroyo just to show force to the opposition. “Kasi kung sabihin na ayaw na nila (If they will give up now), the party will fold. Many will go to other parties, so kelangan nila ipakita na malakas sila (so they need to show force),” he said. Zubiri said the congressional candidates of the ruling party won at the expense of the other Lakas-Kampi local candidates. “In this last election, it was very obvious that they just decided to support congressional candidates, wala silang tinulungang mga (they did not help the) mayors. The mayors had to fend for themselves, particularly in our province of Bukidnon. All our mayors are with Lakas and yet not one centavo was given to them. We had to fend for ourselves,” said Zubiri, a former Bukidnon congressman. Zubiri said this is the reason why he wants to lie-low from Lakas, his political party for 13 years. He, however, clarified that he has no intention of leaving the party. “I'm not happy with my party, especially with the leadership. Let's put it this way, I'd rather be kicked out rather than leave because sasabihin pa nila balimbing ako (they might say I'm a turncoat). I am hoping that they will just kick me out,” he said. He said he would be a maverick in the party and will take independent stance on issues. He added that he would rather join a smaller party that would allow him to grow as an individual and allow him to be able to reform the organization at the same time come out with reform measures that will help the political problems of this country. Asked what party he would join, Zubiri just smiled. “I have always been loyal to the party. The problem I feel is that the party has stopped growing, that the idealism we once had, I feel is not there anymore,” he said.
