PRESS RELEASE
June 04, 2010

Lakas-Kampi-CMD is fielding Albay Representative Edcel C. Lagman  as its candidate for Speaker.

The decision was reached in the party’s meeting at Club Filipino today from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. after Quezon Representative Danilo Suarez, one of the aspirants, proposed for a term sharing wherein Lagman would take the lead for the first 18 months of the 15th Congress.

After Lagman accepted the proposal, the same was unanimously approved by the 35 members of the party who attended the caucus.

Other members were unable to attend because they are either abroad or in their respective districts.

Lagman said, that Lakas-Kampi-CMD remains as the biggest block in the House of Representatives with 55 confirmed steadfast members while 27 members are still undecided whether to remain with the party or to coalesce with the administration party.

Lagman added that Lakas-Kampi-CMD is fighting for the speakership  to “uphold the electoral mandate which elected more Representatives coming from Lakas-Kampi-CMD”.

Lagman also said now that Lakas-Kampi-CMD has chosen its candidate for Speaker, he will formally negotiate with the other political parties and party-list organizations.

“I will be serving my 6th term during the 15th Congress and in the past two decades I have been either with the majority or the minority in the House.  I know how to fight and defend.  The plenary hall has been my ring”, Lagman added.

Lagman also said “he will fight for and defend the House of Representatives and its membership as an independent institution” even as he pursues his pro-people legislative agenda which he has been advocating since the 8th Congress.