Cayetano, Velasco to be flanked by supporters during Duterte meet

MANILA, Philippines — Supporters of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco will accompany them as they meet with President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday about the speakership issue.

PDP-Laban executive director Ron Munsayac said Velasco would be with his “most trusted team” when he meets Cayetano and the President. This team includes Deputy Speakers Mikee Romero and Johnny Pimentel, Ilocos Sur Rep. Kristine Singson-Meehan from the Northern Alliance, AAMBIS-OWA party-list Rep. Sharon Garin of the Party-list Coalition, Abang Lingkod party-list Representative Joseph Stephen Paduano from the Visayan Bloc, Quezon Representative Mark Enverga, and Rizal Representative Jack Duavit from the Nationalist People’s Coalition, and Oriental Mindoro Representative Salvador Leachon from PDP-Laban.

“Expected after the meeting is the final word of the President of who shall be the next House Speaker,” Munsayac said in a statement on Tuesday.

In 2019, Duterte brokered a deal where Cayetano would serve as House Speaker in the first 15 months of the 18th Congress while Velasco will succeed to serve for the remaining 21 months.

Cayetano’s term is expected to end next month, according to the agreement.

“The assumption of Cong. Lord Velasco as House Speaker is a realization of the party’s major accomplishment of heading the lower chamber of the Legislative Department simultaneous with the incumbency of party’s honorary chairman Rodrigo Roa Duterte as President of the Republic of the Philippines,” Munsayac said.  [ac]