De Venecia’s counsel Raul Lambino said the Pangasinan lawmaker was scheduled to meet with the Lakas-CMD "goodwill team" today to discuss the proposal for him to resign as party president in view of his strained relations with party chairperson, President Arroyo.

Lambino said that if De Venecia were to give in to the appeal of his partymates, he would likely choose Speaker Prospero Nograles as his successor.

It was Nograles who replaced De Venecia as speaker following a revolt allegedly engineered by President Arroyo’s sons, Reps. Juan Miguel and Dato Arroyo, with the help of Lakas and Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) congressmen loyal to Malacañang.

"JdV has made it clear that he will only leave the presidency of the party if everything is in order. The Lakas-CMD constitution should be followed," said Lambino.

So far, moves instigated by anti-De Venecia factions within the party are not legally sanctioned under party rules, the lawyer added. Lambino said De Venecia is ready to do legal battle against those pressuring him to resign if they insist on ousting him without observing the provisions in the party’s constitution.

"He (De Venecia) has high respect for Speaker Nograles if he is elected party president. However, there should be compliance to the provisions of the constitution and by-laws," Lambino, former party deputy secretary general, said.

Earlier, Nograles disclosed that a five-man "goodwill team" was formed to inform De Venecia of the decision reached by the executive committee once he arrives from New York within the week.

The team will be composed of Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Deputy Speaker Simeon Datumanong, former presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio, Parañaque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita and former president Fidel V. Ramos.

The creation of the goodwill team serves as solid proof that the executive committee had rejected earlier calls by pro-Arroyo members to drop De Venecia from the rolls of the party membership.

The group is expected to present to De Venecia a "win-win" solution to the leadership controversy which would include the creation of the position of "president emeritus" for the former speaker if he would resign as party president.

The creation of the new position will be taken up on Monday when members of the party’s national directorate are scheduled to meet.

Nograles said his predecessor should be allowed to make a decision on his own, adding that being one of the founders of the party, De Venecia should be accorded respect by members.

"We do not want to lose JDV, that is why everybody is trying to be flexible. He is one of the founders of the party," Nograles said during an ambush interview following the Lakas-CMD executive committee meeting at the historic landmark Manila Hotel last Monday.