Most House members expected to elect Alvarez as speakerSome 270 House members are expected to elect Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez as Speaker of the 17th Congress Monday. “Not less than 270 out of 293 House of Representatives members will vote for Rep. Bebot Alvarez as their Speaker,” he said. Incoming House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo “Rudy” Fariñas, a stalwart of the ruling ruling PartidoDemokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), said majority of the 293-man Lower Chamber will support Alvarez’s speakership. He expressed the PDP-Laban’s gratitude to its coalition partners– Nacionalista Party (NP), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), National Unity Party (NUP), Liberal Party (LP) and party-list representatives for joining the super majority coalition as he welcomed them as “allies in delivering to the people the Legislative Agenda of President Duterte and incoming Speaker Bebot Alvarez.”“We are optimistic of a vibrant and dynamic government in the Executive and Legislative departments under President Duterte, incoming Senate President (Aquilino) Koko Pimentel (III) and Speaker Bebot Alvarez, who are the stalwart leaders of the PDP-Laban,” Fariñas said.

Source: Manila Bulletin July 24, 2016 10:30 UTC