‘100% false’: Cayetano says no deal to stay Speaker for ABS-CBN franchise kill

MANILA, Philippines — “Hundred percent false,” was what Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said about reports that he asked President Rodrigo Duterte to let him cling on as top leader of the House of Representatives in exchange for the denial of ABS-CBN Corp.’s franchise application.

“Kung sinuman gustong mag-accuse, eye-to-eye, mag-lie detector test tayo. Kung sinong matalo sa lie detector test ay tumigil na sa kanyang profession,” Cayetano further told reporters.

(Whoever wants to make the accusation, let’s undergo a lie detector test. Whoever loses in the lie detector test should stop their profession.)

“It’s a hundred percent not true. Wala kaming usapan ng Pangulo about staying, wala kaming usapan ng Pangulo ng any reward or whatever sa ABS-CBN,” he continued.

(It’s 100% not true. The President and I did not have any conversation about staying as Speaker, we had no conversation about any reward regarding the ABS-CBN franchise.)

Cayetano then said that his only commitment to the President was to hold fair hearings on ABS-CBN’s fresh bid for another 25-year franchise.

Cayetano is set to step down from his post in October to give way to Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, who should assume the House speakership until June 2022 – as part of their gentleman’s agreement on term-sharing as endorsed by Duterte.

KGA