BY WENDELL VIGILIA

INEVITABLE and irreversible.

House Speaker Jose de Venecia is due to pack his bags this week as the anti-De Venecia faction led by Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte and presidential son Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo of Pampanga have reportedly gathered more than the required 121 signatures to replace him with Rep. Prospero Nograles (Lakas, Davao).

At least 56 members from President Arroyo’s political party, the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), majority of the 100-member Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, 21 Liberal party members and 15 Nacionalista Party members have reportedly signed the manifesto of withdrawal of support from De Venecia.

"This is a groundswell from the bottom," said Villafuerte, Kampi president.

Nograles, a former majority leader, said he expects a smooth transition of power after the plenary voting which could happen as early as today. "The position is ours. So it’s a numbers game. I don’t think we have to go through a bloody battle."

Nograles said it is obvious that there is a significant clamor for change in the leadership. "Maybe they want a fresh leadership."

De Venecia, who claims he has secured the support of 138 congressmen, said his camp would force a nominal voting to give them a chance to explain their votes.

"Kung mayroon silang 121, itataas ko ang kamay kung sino yung manalo," he said.

The pro-Nograles faction also includes at least half of the members of the party-list bloc, according to Villafuerte.

"This is the reality that the Speaker should accept. After five terms as Speaker, the time has come for him to give the House a chance to have a more straightforward and transparent leader like Boy Nograles," said Palawan Rep. Kahlil Abraham Mitra (NPC).

De Venecia was elected speaker from 1992 to 1995, 1995 to 1998, 2001 to 2004 and from 2004 until the present.

"Without the endorsement of the President as chair of the party Lakas, JDV is a goner," said Nueva Ecija Rep. Edno Joson (Ind.).

Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona, a senior Lakas member, said the speakership issue would definitely divide the ruling party as many of them are expected to join other parties, especially Kampi.

The threat to De Venecia’s leadership stemmed from accusations by his son Joey last year that presidential spouse Mike Arroyo stood to benefit from the $329-million national broadband deal with China’s ZTE Corporation. Joey’s Amsterdam Holdings Inc. was one of three proponents of the NBN project.

Last September, the President’s House allies initiated efforts to remove De Venecia.

LAKAS CAUCUS TODAY

Leaders of the Lakas coalition called for a caucus on the speakership row and a possible straw vote at 10 a.m. today in Malacañang.

Expected to attend are four leaders each from Lakas-CMD, Kampi, NPC, LP, NP, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (Laban), Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas, and party-list representatives.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the caucus would tackle the resolution of the speakership row "as amicably as possible" and "one possible way is a matter of straw voting."

"There will be no more talks and they will just go ahead with whatever they are planning."

On whether the straw vote would be about whether or not De Venecia would keep his post, he said: "Let’s see what will happen tomorrow."

He said the caucus was proposed by Iloilo Rep. Art Defensor.

The decision to call a caucus was reached during a three-hour luncheon meeting at the Bahay Pangarap in Malacañang Park.

Those in attendance were former President Fidel Ramos, De Venecia, Lakas secretary general Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Simeon Datumanong, Defensor, Quezon City Rep. Mat Defensor, Trade Secretary Peter Favila, Bunye, Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines chair Ramon Guico Jr., Parañaque City Rep. Eduardo Zialcita, and Lakas vice president for Luzon Heherson Alvarez Jr.

NO-SHOW IN GOLF GAME

The luncheon meeting was preceded by a nine-hole round of golf in which most of the Lakas leaders played.

The game was cut short when President Arroyo arrived.

Bunye said the President Arroyo did not take play because she had to hear Mass and that she had informed Ramos about it Saturday night.

Bunye said Arroyo’s absence at the golf game did not indicate anything.

He said the President, who sat between Ramos and De Venecia, "listened" to the sentiments of those present during the meeting and said the leadership row should be resolved as soon as possible. He said the discussion was "free wheeling."

As for De Venecia, Bunye said the Speaker "played (golf) well (probably because) he knew we were watching." He said one of De Venecia’s shots landed very close to the hole.

Bunye said the Lakas leaders’ first item on the agenda was the Lakas-CMD anniversary celebration on Feb.7 until someone called attention to the "prejudicial question that needs to be solved," obviously referring to the speakership.

While the meeting was ongoing, security was tightened at the Malacañang Park and the media were not allowed to cover both the golf game and the meeting.

Bunye told Palace reporters Friday afternoon that the meeting, including the game, would be open to the media.

Rain-soaked reporters had to wait outside for a possible ambush interview.

‘EXPOSE GMA’S MISDEEDS’

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz dared De Venecia to break up his political relationship with President Arroyo.

"He should accept the challenge and prove his real worth by revealing the many atrocious GMA misdeeds," said Cruz, a former president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

Cruz said the NBN-ZTE mess was just a "trigger" that began with the desire of the administration for Charter change which would enable Arroyo to stay beyond 2010.

Arroyo and De Venecia previously worked together to initiate Charter change in an effort to transform the government from a presidential to a parliamentary system.

OPPOSITION ALLY?

Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. did not discount the possibility of De Venecia becoming an ally of the opposition.

"There are many ways of joining forces (with De Venecia) without formalizing," Pimentel said without elaborating. "Anyway, alam ninyo sa pulitika, the enemy of your enemy is your friend."

Pimentel said the decision to align with the opposition would be entirely up to De Venecia. – With Regina Bengco, Gerard Naval and Dennis Gadil