WHO says that Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. will no longer be backed by Malacañang in his reelection bid for a third and final term of office as congressman of the fourth district of Pangasinan?

No less than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo called Speaker de Venecia “my most important ally” during a luncheon meeting he hosted for some 500 barangay officials and Sangguniang Kabataan from the fourth district of Pangasinan.

“We need Speaker De Venecia to lead us in the congressional and local elections nationwide,” Arroyo said, eliciting applause from a clearly partisan crowd from Pangasinan.

President Arroyo is the chairman of the ruling party Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats and Speaker De Venecia is the national president.

Earlier, former President Fidel Ramos, president emeritus of Lakas-CMD, endorsed De Venecia and even wrote President Arroyo for continued support for De Venecia’s reelection.

Arroyo’s declaration of support finally put to rest the intrigue that political parties identified with the administration were planning to back up Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim who is seeking to slug it out with De Venecia in the coming election.

Meanwhile, Lim is reportedly seeking an accommodation by Arroyo’s party Kabalikat ng Mamayang Pilipino (Kampi) as its official candidate in his planned battle with the Speaker. It is not known, however, whether Kampi will act favorably on his request.

Among those who accompanied the barangay and SK officials were Immigrations Commissioner Alipio Fernandez who is reportedly preparing to retake his seat as mayor of Dagupan City, and his son Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez of Dagupan City.

Also pledging support to De Venecia are members of the Dagupan City Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, who cited De Venecia for his “non-stop, extra-ordinary achievements” in Dagupan City.

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