Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin threw shade on Thursday, July 24 against House Speaker wannabes in the 20th Congress who "don't have the guts" to publicly declare their intentions.

Garin, in a virtual press conference, says this hesitance or refusal on the part of the underground Speakership aspirants to come out into the open hurts their credibility as supposed leaders.

“Sa totoo lang, minsan hindi ko rin maintindihan kasi dati-rati naman kapag ikaw ay may interes sa isang posisyon nagpapakita ka (To be honest, sometimes I don’t understand anymore because in the past, when someone was interested in a position, they’d make it known),” said the administration solon.

"If you don’t have the guts to come out in the open and appear na ikaw nga ay interesado sa posisyon, paano ka naman magkakaroon ng guts na labanan ang problema ng sambayanang Pilipino? (If you don’t have the guts to come out in the open and appear that you're interested in the position, how will you have the guts to face the problems of the Filipino people?)" Garin asked.

While the lady solon didn't mention any names, her remarks came on the heels of what could be described as intramurals from Cebu 5th district Rep. Vincent Franco "Duke" Frasco.

In recent weeks, Frasco has come out to criticize Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez's Speakership during the previous 19th Congress, only to see shortly after that the vast majority of his House colleagues want the latter to retain his lofty post.

Garin said in the same presser that at least 291 House members have signed a manifesto of support for Romualdez's continued Speakership. According to her, this makes the Speakership race on Monday, July 28 a foregone conclusion.

She says that leading the House of Representatives--which is composed of over 300 members--requires transparency, courage, and public accountability.

The former deputy majority leader also says it is time to put a stop to treating power struggles as bargaining chips for other posts.

“Kailangan ikaw bilang leader ng ating more than 300 plus na congressmen. So ang nakikita natin dito sa tinanda ko, sa tagal ko na sa Kongreso, ‘yung positioning becomes an area of bargaining and I believe dapat ito ihinto,” she said.

(As the leader of over 300 congressmen, you need to step up. From what I’ve seen through the years I’ve spent in Congress, the positioning has turned into a bargaining chip—and I believe that has to stop.)

“Kasi ang positioning kapag ikaw ay may gustong posisyon, with that power comes responsibility and accountability. Hindi pwede on my part, sa pananaw ko, hindi maganda na parang magpo-posisyon ka ng Speaker pero at the same time you’re just rooting for a bargaining post,” she noted.

(Because when you’re positioning yourself for a role, if you’re aiming for a post, that power comes with responsibility and accountability. From my point of view, it’s not right to position yourself for Speaker if deep down you’re just after a bargaining post.)

Frasco served as a former deputy speaker in the 19th Congress.