MANILA, Philippines (Update 2, 1:58 p.m.) — Rep. Paolo Duterte (Davao City 1st district) announced Saturday he is no longer interested in becoming the House speaker, saying the timing is not yet right. “The president has also been fully informed of Rep. Ungab’s participation in the race for the next Speaker of the House of Representatives,” Paolo said. The presidential son’s decision to back out of the speakership race came following the creation of the so-called “Duterte Coalition” composed of his group and his sister’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago. He has been endorsed by the Duterte-led administration PDP-Laban party as the next House speaker to serve for the full term of the 18th Congress. In a bid to break a deadlock among aspirants, Paolo had agreed to the plan to share the three-year speaker term.

Source: Philippine Star July 06, 2019 04:52 UTC