Time to move on: Cayetano yet to speak with Velasco despite meeting with PDP-Laban

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has yet to speak with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco despite having met already with the latter’s political party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

Cayetano made the disclosure Wednesday night two weeks after claiming that Velasco was behind an alleged ouster plot against him.

In an interview with reporters, Cayetano reiterated his call for Velasco to make a promise not to remove any House leaders from their posts once the latter takes over as Speaker of the House.

Velasco is set to take over as the leader of the lower chamber in October under a term-sharing deal with Cayetano.

“Hindi ko pa rin nakakausap si Cong. Velasco and pauli-ulit lang naman ako doon sa sinasabi yang magpirmahan. Sabi ko, just make a statement that walang palitan ng chairmanships o ng leadership,” Cayetano said.

(I have not talked to Congressman Velasco but I have just been repeating my pronouncements. I said, just make a statement that there will be no change in chairmanships and leadership.)

Cayetano earlier tagged Velasco as the person behind the supposed plot to unseat him as Speaker, saying that the Marinduque lawmaker was promising chairmanship and budget allocation to some members of the lower chamber.

But amid these allegations, Cayetano met with PDP-Laban, Velasco’s party on Monday where he showed the members proof of the alleged ouster plot.

Velasco is a member of PDP-Laban.

“Sa PDP, we talked about many things and binigay ko rin sa kanila yung ebidensya ng coup. But sabi ko nga sa kanila, tutal magbe-break na, let’s change topic na to the trabaho,” Cayetano said.

(With PDP, we talked about many things and I presented before them evidence of the coup. I told them, since it’s already the break, let’s change the topic and go to work.)

For Cayetano, it is time to move on from the speakership issue.

“Sabi ko nga, time to move on from that issue and to focus na doon sa pressing concern na nangyayari,” the House Speaker said.

(I said, it’s time to move on from hat issue and to focus on pressing concerns.)