MANILA – The 55-member party-list bloc on Tuesday said it will vote for either Lord Allan Velasco of Marinduque or Martin Romualdez of Leyte for the Speakership position.

In a statement, Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles said choosing between Velasco and Romualdez would be tough “because both of them are close to our hearts.”

Nograles said among the aspirants for the speakership, only Velasco and Romualdez are truly serious in the bid and have the strongest connection with party-list lawmakers.

"I observed that our party-list congressmen are one in the belief that under a Velasco or a Romualdez speakership, we will be treated fairly and the concerns of our constituents will be heard and respected,” Nograles said.

“Some of the wannabes who have tried to reach out to us obviously have a different view about party-list groups. Parang mababa ang tingin sa amin (They look down on us).”

Nograles, however, said he will not divulge these "other candidates" but stressed that in the end, the party-list coalition headed by 1-Pacman party-list Rep. Mikee Romero will vote as one bloc.

House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, meanwhile, expects lawmakers from the ruling PDP-Laban to break party lines in the speakership race unless President Rodrigo Duterte or his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, endorses a speakership candidate.

Suarez believes that Romualdez, who belongs to the Lakas party, will have an edge over other bets should the Dutertes keep a hands-off approach to the speakership race.

PDP-Laban members and officials are expected to gather at the house of Senator Manny Pacquiao to decide on who will be the party's bet for next speaker.

The ruling party has three aspirants for speaker, namely Velasco, Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales, and Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez.

Taguig representative-elect Alan Peter Cayetano, also a staunch Duterte supporter, is also jockeying for the top post at the House of Representatives.

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