Usapang lalaki ‘yon: Duterte warns vs scrapping of Speaker term-sharing deal

By: Darryl John Esguerra - 4 years ago

MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte has warned House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco against turning their backs on the Speakership term-sharing deal he had brokered amid speculations that it could be ignored.

“If anyone of them would not honor it, be it Lord Velasco or si Peter Cayetano that is — that would be his decision,” Duterte said in an interview in Davao City Saturday.

“But he has to take care that there is an agreement of sharing. If you violate it… Usapan ‘yan (That’s what we’ve agreed.),” he added

The President brokered the term-sharing deal with Cayetano sitting first for 15 months as Speaker before Velasco’s 21-month stint.

But Cayetano’s allies in the Nacionalista Party and the National Unity Party earlier floated the idea of doing away with the term-sharing deal because of the Speaker’s high trust and approval ratings.

Asked if the deal would push through as planned, Duterte said: Iyon ang usapan. (That’s what we’ve agreed.) That was an agreement — a solemn agreement between the three of us. If you want to use the vernacular, usapang lalaki ‘yon.

But Duterte claimed he would still wait and see if the agreement will be honored.

“We should answer that question when we cross the bridge,” he said.

Edited by MUF