MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte asked Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco to move the term-sharing agreement to December to make way for the proposed 2021 budget, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano claimed on Wednesday.
Cayetano made the remark as he addressed the members of the lower chamber one day after news broke out that Velasco would take over as speaker of the House on October 14, true to the term-sharing agreement.
“Because of this, the President repeatedly asked Congressman Velasco to move the term sharing agreement to December so that Congress may be able to finish the budget. Ang Pangulo pa ang nakiusap (The President himself made the request),” Cayetano said.
“The President asked this not to give me a few months as a speaker but because it was for good of the country, hindi para kay Alan ito dahil sa budget to (not for the sake of Alan but for the sake of the budget) but this appeal to Congressman Velasco was rejected many, many times despite the reasonings given,” he added. [ac]