DAGUPAN CITY – The rainbow coalition in the House of Representatives will be revitalized, expanded and enlarged in the 14^th Congress, according to House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr.

De Venecia, smarting from his landslide victory in the fourth district of Pangasinan against Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim, vowed to enlarge the coalition he first founded in 1992 and revived by him in 2001, in a patched phone interview by a radio station here from Manila on Thursday.

He made the statement barely two days after his victory for an unprecedented fifth term as Speaker of the House was sealed due to overwhelming support he just received from different political parties that coalesced with the administration.

De Venecia expressed his thanks to the leaders of the Kabalikat ng mga Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi), Nationalist People’s Coalition, Laban ng  Demokratikong Pilipino, Atienza Wing of the Liberal Party, Partido Demokrasya Sosyalista ng Pilipinas and different party list groups that are backing him up in his return as Speaker of the House.

He said there are 92 candidates of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats who won as congressmen in the last election, 48 from Kampi, 30 from NPC, 21 from LP Atienza wing, four from the LDP and three form the PDSP.

“I think, we have more than 200 congressmen and congresswomen supporting me for the speakership from a total of 219,” de Venecia revealed.

He said the LP Atienza wing was first to declare its open support, followed by the NPC headed by Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco, then Kampi led by Negros Oriental Congressman Iggy Arroyo and Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno.

De Venecia said he would like to thank Interior and Local Government Secretary Puno and the entire Kampi membership who met and picked him (de Venecia) as their unanimous choice to head the House of Representative as its Speaker anew.

Makati Congressman Teodoro Locsin, Jr. was quoted by De Venecia as saying that it is only de Venecia who can manage successfully the House of Representatives to pas critical legislations.

De Venecia said he owes everything to the Lord and to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Manaoag for the blessings that are now pouring in.

“It’s really a blessing. Those who said that I will have a difficult time in Pangasinan and in getting back the speakership were proved wrong. The blessings are continuously coming and pouring in,” De Venecia enthused.

In Pangasinan’s fourth district, de Venecia trounced Lim with an incredible lead of 59,644. He had 111,654 votes against his opponent’s 52,010 votes.

He said in Pangasinan, he and his wife Gina as well as their supporters, really worked hard and this paid off because he did his homework well as congressman of Pangasinan’s fourth district, covering Dagupan, Mangaldan, San Fabian, San Jacinto and Manaoag.

In his fight against Lim, De Venecia acknowledged their endorsement made by President Gloria Macapagal Arryo, Vice President Noli de Castro, former President Fidel Ramos, Methodists churches and many others. (PNA)

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