MANILA - Refuting claims by fellow administration representative Antonio Cuenco of Cebu City, House Speaker Prospero Nograles on Friday said majority of the congressmen prefer Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro over Senator Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino III and other presidential aspirants.

Cuenco on Thursday told reporters that his “informal survey” of 200 congressmen showed that around 100 of them are for Senator Benigno Aquino, 50 for Senator Manuel Villar, and 50 for Gilbert Teodoro. (See story: Solons for Noynoy?)

“I don't think that there is any basis for such assessment because the Lakas leadership made its own survey with respect to their choice for a presidential candidate, and their choice is Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. A great majority of our members are highly principled and I don't think that their choice of Gibo was plainly based on what Congressman Cuenco describes as pork barrel considerations,” Nograles said in a statement.  

“The majority of congressmen and women will probably toe the administration line, and we think that Gibo, given the time and the right public exposure, should be able to shoot up by end of next month's October surveys,” he added.  

Sought for comment, Cuenco told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak: “I respect the Speaker and others’ contrary views. Mine is my own personal view on the matter.”  

Cuenco's ties

In relation to Cuenco's alleged survey, Nograles raised the Cebu City solon's ties with the Aquino family. 

“Rep. Cuenco has been with the yellow movement since 1985, and maybe, that's his emotional sentiment. I am sure the other Cebu congressmen do not feel like he does,” Nograles said.

Nograles said he has a better grasp than Cuenco on the sentiments of congressmen about their preferences for president. He said he has not sensed any indication that the majority bloc—nearly 200 of the 268 total number of congressmen—is rooting for Aquino.  

The majority bloc in the House of Representatives is composed of the merged Lakas-Kampi-CMD (140 members), the Nationalist Party Coalition (27 members), Liberal Party (19 members), and Nacionalista Party (11 members).

“As Speaker, I always talk to as many congressmen as I can everyday, and that sentiment is prevailing only in the militant party-list [representatives] and the Liberal Party (LP) stalwarts identified with Sen.Franklin Drilon,” Nograles said.  

Nograles said he believes Senator Francis Escudero, who has yet to throw his hat in the presidential race, would get more votes than Aquino if a vote is taken among congressmen.  

“They (Liberal Party) have a following, I am sure. But the NPC has more, and definitely, Lakas-Kampi has the numbers,” he said.  

Closet supporters?

But Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros, who is in the senatorial ticket of LP, said she believes many in the majority bloc in the House of Representatives are "closet" supporters of Aquino.  

"Closet supporters of Noynoy in the administration camp should come out. There should be a complete rejection of everything that President Arroyo represents. They should shun their pork mentality and stand up for their principles and withdraw their support for the administration," Hontiveros said.  

More questions

Nograles’ doubts about the survey were shared by other congressmen.
 
“I don't think the survey is accurate at all. I was never asked and I believe that even those [congressmen] in the Northern Alliance will support Gibo,” said Baguio City Rep. Mauricio Domogan.  

“I cannot believe the informal survey. Gibo Teodoro is the most qualified to be President. I am sure majority of Congressmen will support him,” said Oriental Mindoro Rep. Rodolfo Valencia said.  

Marikina City Rep. Marcelino Teodoro called the survey “misleading.”  

“That is a misleading statement. I, for one, as part of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, knows that the ideals of the party and its long-term vision to a more transparent and productive country is its strength. The informal survey by Rep. Cuenco can be discounted as mere speculation and may prove to be unsubstantiated,” he said.  

“His personal survey should not cause distress to his fellow representatives who have been blatantly dragged into his personal dilemma. Noynoy's surge is fleeting and rides only with the Aquino euphoria. Winnability in the polls is not a guaranteed victory, but loyalty to a formidable party ideology and the sole advocacy to lead the country towards the betterment and welfare of Filipinos is the winning formula in the 2010 elections,” Teodoro added.