Davao solon eyes House leadership – Palace

MANILA- Davao Del Norte 2nd District Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. wants to lead the House of Representatives, a Palace official said Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said he received a text message from Floirendo on Monday, informing the Palace of his plan to succeed former President and incumbent Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, whose term will end this year.

"Antonio Floreindo is throwing his hat to the speakership, he is vying for the speakership," Panelo told reporters during a Palace briefing.

Panelo however clarified that President Rodrigo Duterte would not meddle with leadership concerns at the House.

"He (Duterte) allows everybody to seek whatever position they want," Panelo said.

It can be recalled that Floirendo was once involved in a rivalry with ousted House Speaker Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez following the supposed misunderstanding between their girlfriends.

The rivalry reached its height when Alvarez filed a graft case against Floreindo over a supposedly disadvantageous deal to the government concerning the Floreindo-owned Tagum Agricultural Development Company Inc. or TADECO and the Bureau of Corrections.

Floirendo, however, has maintained that there was no conflict of interest in the deal as he only has a “mere 0.89 percent” of the company’s outstanding capital stock.

Source From:https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/08/19/davao-solon-eyes-house-leadership-palace