Cayetano dares Speakership rivals to take lie detector test amid vote-buying issue

MANILA, Philippines — Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano challenged fellow candidates for Speakership to undergo a lie detector test to end the issue of vote-buying.

Cayetano said he, along with reelected Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco who are all vying for the Speakership, should undergo a lie detector test.

“Para maresolve once and for all, dapat ako, si Speaker Alvarez, si Cong. Martin at si Cong. Velasco magpa-lie detector test kami (To resolve this issue once and for all, Speaker Alvarez, Rep. Martin, and Rep. Velasco should undergo lie detector test),” Cayetano said Monday in an ambush interview at the pre-State of the Nation Address (Sona) Economic and Infrastructure Forum.

“Isang tanong lang. Nagbayad ka ba para kumuha ng boto sa mga congressman (It’s just for one year. Are you still going to pay for votes?” he added.

Cayetano said he is willing to undergo a lie detector test in any television network or even the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“So anywhere, anytime. Sa kahit anong TV station o sa NBI, payag ako. Kasi alam ko ang totoo (I’m OK to do it in any TV station or the NBI because I know the truth),” he said.

Alvarez earlier revealed that some of his competitors are shelling out between P500,000 and P1 million to secure the votes of the more than 300 House members.

READ: ‘Spend P150M to P300M, to be next Speaker’

Meanwhile, Velasco denied he was giving away money to congressmen to get their votes: “No, I’m not giving away P1 million. Then I’d be waiting for P1 million for myself.” (Editor: Eden Estopace)

READ: Velasco denies giving away millions for speakership votes