‘This is not a teleserye,’ solon says of Cayetano-Velasco speakership row

In this file photo taken on July 23, 2019, Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano (left) and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco seal the term-sharing arrangement suggested by President Rodrigo Duterte for the speakership. INQUIRER file photo / JOAN BONDOC

MANILA, Philippines — “This is not a teleserye.”

AAMBIS-OWA Party-list Rep. Sharon Garin said this Friday on the speakership row between House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, as she denied being the one who supposedly leaked the October 14 date of Velasco’s takeover as House leader.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, Garin was asked about the remark of Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte in a television interview where he said it was a congresswoman who mentioned October 14 as the date of the change in the House leadership. Villafuerte was saying the date was not mentioned during the meeting of Cayetano and Velasco with President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday.

“No, there were three of us (congresswomen in the meeting). But this is not a teleserye. I don’t want to go to the ‘he said, she said.’ Let’s be professionals, and even the Speaker said it during his speech, that famous speech two days ago na he mentioned October 14,” Garin said in response.

Garin was present in the meeting in support of Velasco.

According to her, the instructions of the President were clear during the meeting.

“I remember specifically two things that he wanted: pass the budget on time and follow the 15-21 [term-sharing deal]. I don’t think he retracted any of that,” she said.

“I am definite about his instructions that he is asking us na wag kayong magulo. Just make sure that the budget passes because we have COVID, we have so many problems, we need it on time,” she added.

Asked where the October 14 date came from, the congresswoman said she thinks “it was how they arrived at the compromise.”

“One wanted earlier, the other one wanted later so they arrived at the October 14. Because in 15-21, we are talking about 36 months of one term. Ang 15 nyan nag-e-end ng September 30, then the other party wanted a longer one so October 14 is actually in between,” she explained.

The 15-21 term sharing deal between Cayetano and Velasco was brokered by Duterte in 2019. Under this agreement, Cayetano would serve as House Speaker in the first 15 months of the 18th Congress while Velasco will succeed to serve the remaining 21 months.

/MUF