Speaker vote a matter of procedure but a lot can still happen – Cayetano

MANILA, Philippines — Whether or not the term-sharing deal between Speaker Alan Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco happens, the chamber will hold an election after 15 months as a matter of procedure.

Cayetano said this Thursday, as Deputy Speaker for Finance Luis Raymund Villafuerte was quoted in a newspaper as saying that the chamber would vote on whether Velasco would still take over the House leadership after 15 months or not.

“Either way, magkakaroon ng botohan sa speakership kung sino ang next leader. No one can take over by just saying na ikaw na next kasi wala namang vice speaker…” Cayetano said in an interview in Tagaytay City, insisting that it’s “unproductive and very speculative” to talk about the issue.

(Either way, there will be an election for Speaker. No one can take over by just saying ‘you are next’ because we don’t have a vice Speaker.)

Cayetano also repeated his earlier message to Velasco that he has nothing to worry about because he would follow President Rodrigo Duterte. It was Duterte who pushed for the idea that Cayetano becomes Speaker for the first 15 months, with Velasco taking over the remaining 21 months of the three-year term.

READ: Cayetano to Velasco: Relax, nobody said term-sharing pact won’t happen

Despite this, Cayetano also acknowledged that a lot could still happen after 15 months especially since some congressmen personally ask him to just stay as House leader following his high trust and approval rating from a September Pulse Asia survey.

“Once in a while merong papasyal sa office, Speaker, sana hindi ka na mapalitan… Let’s just do our best in the 15 months. Paano kung si Congressman Velasco mismo ang nagsabi na ayaw niya na or paano kung before the 15 months sabihin kong nagawa ko na ‘yung dapat kong gawin?” he said.

(Once in a while there are few congressmen who would visit my office and would wish that I would not be replaced… Let’s just do our best in the 15 months. What if Cong. Velasco gives way or what if I stepdown even before the end of my term and say I’ve already done my job?)

“So ang daming puwedeng mangyari pero wala namang nagsasabi na as of now na hindi masusunod. Ang sinasabi ko from the start, let’s respect the call of the President,” he added.

(So a lot could still happen but as of now, no one is saying that the agreement no longer holds. What I’m saying from the start, let’s respect the call of the President.)

Velasco previously expressed confidence that the “15-21” term-sharing deal they forged at the beginning of the 18th Congress stands.

READ: ‘I will see you next year as the next Speaker of the House’ – Velasco