MAASIN CITY, Philippines ?President Macapagal Arroyo, the congresswoman-elect of Pampanga?s second district, has allegedly ?declined? her allies? prodding to run for Speaker, saying she would rather be like ?Sonia Gandhi? of the Philippines, a lawmaker said on Saturday.
Gandhi is the Italian-born widow of assassinated Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. She was immensely popular and assumed the party?s leadership when her husband was assassinated in 1991.
In an emergency meeting held in Malacanang Thursday, Arroyo told her allies that she could effectively help them in Congress ?if she is not the Speaker, ? re-elected Southern Leyte Representative Roger Mercado told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The meeting, Mercado said, was attended by re-elected and newly elected congressmen from the administration Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats.
?The President declined when we suggested to her to run for the speakership,? said the congressman.
?I would rather be like Sonia Gandhi, their party?s titular head who did not aim for the Prime Minister, but rather strengthened her party,? he quoted the President as telling the more than 100 lawmakers in attendance.
Mercado said the President would like the work in Congress be ?pleasant and fulfilling.?
?Her plan is to help the members of Congress and she told us that she would be effective if she is not the speaker,? he added.
But even if the President initially declined to vie for the speakership, Mercado said there would be no telling what would happen next, or if she could be convinced to change her mind.
He said the Lakas congressmen have scheduled another meeting next Friday to again discuss the party?s choice for the speakership.
Mercado also disclosed that President Arroyo has also assumed the party chairmanship in place of Occidental Mindoro Representative Amelita Villarosa.
?So far we have not decided whom to nominate for the speakership because we were unanimous in choosing President Arroyo to become the speaker, but she declined,? the congressman added.
