House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano. INQUIRER.net file photo / Pathricia Ann V. Roxas
MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano assured there would be “no problem” in the term-sharing agreement he has with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, adding that he would follow what the President says.
“There’s no problem because kung ano sabihin ni Presidente yun ang susundin ko [i’ll follow what the President says],” Cayetano told reporters at the Senate on Tuesday when asked about President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement that it would be a problem if he does not honor the term-sharing deal.
Cayetano, head of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Committee (Phisgoc) Foundation Inc., was at the Senate for the deliberation on the proposed 2020 budget of the Philippine Sports Commission.
“So hindi kailangang isipin ng kahit sino na may problema. The President was just reacting sa tanong pa’no kung, you know, hindi matuloy. Pero ako, from the start, I’ve been very consistent. Ang head ng coalition ay ang Pangulo, so ang Pangulo ang masusunod,” the House Speaker added.
(There’s no need for anyone to think that there would be any problem. The President was just reacting to a question on what if the term-sharing will not push through. But from the start, I’ve been very consistent. The head of the coalition is the President, so we will follow him).
Earlier, members of the House of Representatives said Cayetano’s high trust and approval rating from a September Pulse Asia survey may prompt them to support his stay as Speaker.
Cayetano, Velasco, and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez had earlier been locked in a rivalry for the speakership after the three lawmakers, all known allies of Duterte, expressed their desire to get the House top post.
But the President had opted a term-sharing between Cayetano and Velasco to end the squabbling among his allies at the House.
Cayetano, the Chief Executive suggested, would serve as Speaker in the first 15 months of the 18th Congress while Velasco will succeed to serve for the remaining 21 months.
Romualdez, meanwhile, was named as House majority leader.