SAYS HE IS THE ONLY FIVE-TIME SPEAKER IN THE WORLD
By Mortz C. Ortigoza
DAGUPAN CITY - A retired seasoned politician waxed nostalgic on those days he represented his constituents in two congressional districts and his being the only five-time House Speaker in the world.
“As the five –time Speaker of the House don’t take that easy. That is first time in the history of Asia and the world I served as Speaker five times then my wife retired but she served twice and the she retired our congressman son took over. Now he is on his second term. All these happened because of the affection of the people of the Second District of Pangasinan and the Fourth District of Pangasinan. I’ve been the only in the Philippines who represented two congressional districts,” Jose de Venecia, known also as JDV, told recently foreign and local guests who attended his 83rd birthday held at his swanky coastal abode in Barangay Bonuan Binloc here.
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| THUMB'S UP. Former five-time House Speaker Joe de Venecia shows a thumb's up sign while with wife former congresswoman Gina de Venecia. The posterity pose ensues during the 83rd Birthday of the former Speaker held at his abode in Dagupan City. |
Clad in a red, black, and white stripped polo shirt, De Venecia thanked Chinese corporate executive Chen and his son who came all the way from China, Christian Baverey and his wife renowned first runway model of the Philippines in France and the protégée of world’s fashion icons Yves St Laurent and Hubert de Givenchy’s Tetta Agustin, other foreign luminaries, and his constituents and supporters from the old Second District and the present Fourth District of Pangasinan.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming today to attend my natal day. Our guests from France, our guests from Iran, our guests from China our guests from Manaoag, San Jacinto Mangaldan, San Fabian, Dagupan City, San Carlos City and my old district Second District of Pangasinan. Because in my time I represented before the Second District it was Dagupan City, Binmaley, San Carlos City, Basista, Urbiztondo, and Mangatarem. Then I was transferred to Dagupan City, San Jacinto, Mangaldan, San Fabian,
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| Speaker de Venecia gestures as his son Fourth District Congressman Christopher de Venecia (extreme right) applauds. |
The veteran politico opened his impromptu remark that he doubted if he could still deliver a speech because of his long absence speaking before the public.
“I thank you beloved (wife) Gina. I would not reach this far without her. Thank you my son Congressman Christopher”.
De Venecia was born on December 26, 1936 in Dagupan City to Judge Jose R. de Venecia Sr. and Casimira Villamil Clavería. In 1947, he finished his elementary study at the Dagupan Elementary School that accelerated him by one year. He completed his secondary education at the De La Salle College High School in 1951 and his Bachelor of Science in Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila in 1955.
Beginning in 1987, according to Wikipidea, de Venecia was elected to six terms as a Representative of the 4th District of Pangasinan. He served as Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives throughout the Ninth, Tenth, Twelfth and Thirteenth Congresses of the Philippines.
In 1998, the dominant party Lakas-NUCD-UMDP held a presidential convention to select outgoing President Fidel V. Ramos' successor as titular president and candidate for the May 11 election. A long list of candidates was trimmed and led to a choice between de Venecia and then National Defense Secretary Renato de Villa.
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| Foreign luminaries pose for posterity with the de Venecias. |
De Venecia garnered the second highest number of votes in a field of 11 candidates, though he was far behind the winner, Joseph Estrada. After he lost his bid, he departed from media attention and political limelight. In one of his interviews, De Venecia said that he was depressed and took several months to recover.
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