Teves presents video showing he was muted during vote on Cayetano’s resignation offer

MANILA, Philippines — Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves presented Monday a video showing he was muted during the vote on the offer of House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano to resign amid the speakership row in the lower chamber.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, Teves, a reported ally of Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, said that he sought to raise a point of order as votes were about to be counted on Cayetano’s offer to resign during the session on September 30.

However, Teves said those attending the session through videoconferencing were muted.

READ: Cayetano offers resignation as Speaker of the House of Representatives

“Ang ine-expect ko lahat lutong Macau. Sorry for the term Lutong Macau, because ang nakakasalita lang ‘yung gusto nilang magsalita,” Teves said.

(I expect everything to be ‘Lutong Macau’. Sorry for the term because only those who they want to speak are able to speak.)

“I raised a point of order. For those who know parliamentary rules, a point of order is a priority motion na kung i-raise mo yun, kahit anong mangyari, dapat i-recognize ka. Paano ka nare-recognize if naka-mute ka?” he added.

(I raised a point of order. For those who know parliamentary rules, a point of order is a priority motion once made. Whatever happens, it should be recognized. How will you be recognized if you are muted?)

During the interview, a video was played showing Teves trying to unmute himself while raising a point of order, but cannot do so.

“I am raising a point of order, but they are muting me and I cannot unmute. This is a railroaded proceeding,” Teves can be heard saying in the video.

The Negros Oriental also questioned the attendance on the day of the voting.

“Nag-usap kami ni [Majority Leader] Martin Romualdez, sabi niya parang 299 are presumed or deemed present every time. Hindi ko alam sino ang gumawa ng ruling na ‘yun pero tingin ko hindi naman dapat. Halos imposible naman ‘yun,” Teves said in the interview.

(I spoke with Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, he said 299 lawmakers are presumed or deemed present every time. I don’t know who made that ruling but I don’t think it’s just. It’s almost impossible.)

“To whose favor will it be? Only to those inside the House who were allowed to speak. Where is democracy now?”

While recognizing that the legislative is an independent branch from the executive, Teves hopes President Rodrigo Duterte will see what is happening in the lower chamber.

“We’re curtailed, we are not allowed to speak and then they continue with the proceeding. Foul ‘yun e. Dapat hindi pwede ‘yun (That’s foul, it should not have been allowed),” Teves said.

“Gusto ko nga makarating ito kay Presidente para makita niya na mali ‘yung ginagawa na ng House. It may be an independent body but wala na rin akong ibang matakbuhan e si Presidente naman ang pinakamalakas sa bansa natin. Gusto ko sanang makita niya na nire-railroad nila ang proceedings doon,” the lawmaker added.

(I hope this reaches President Duterte so that he can see that what’s happening in the House is wrong. It may be an independent body but I don’t know where else to run and the President is the most powerful man in the country. I want him to see that the proceedings in the House are being railroaded.)

Cayetano earlier offered his resignation after news broke out that Velasco will take over the post starting October 14 in line with the two lawmakers’ term-sharing agreement.

“I will not be a party to letting the President down so I am offering my resignation here and now to you my dear colleagues. My fate and the fate of the 2021 budget and the fate of the leadership of the House is in your hands,” Cayetano said.

This offer, however, was immediately rejected by Cayetano’s colleagues, with 184 lawmakers voting against it.

JE