Solon says Duterte told Velasco: ‘Lord, it is your right time now, I have already spoken’

Oriental Mindoro Rep. Paulino Salvador Leachon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — “Lord, it is your right time now. I have already spoken. You have to insist your right based on the term-sharing agreement.”

A lawmaker said these were the words of President Rodrigo Duterte during his meeting with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco on Monday night as the speakership row continues to hound the House of Representatives.

Oriental Mindoro 1st District Rep. Doy Leachon, an ally of Velasco, described the meeting between Duterte and Velasco as “more casual and like a father-son conversation.”

“That’s why we expect Speaker Alan Cayetano to resign on October 14 and to abide by the term-sharing agreement because his time is already up, in the same way that there is now the Super Majority Coalition in Congress because we abided with the wishes of the President during the speakership race 15 months ago,” Leachon said in a statement.

“The Super Majority does not belong to Speaker Cayetano but allied with the President of which PDP Laban is the largest bloc in the coalition and for anyone who would renege on the term-sharing agreement from any member of the coalition is actually defying the wishes of the President,” he added.

Leachon said the accomplishments of the House are the collective efforts of all the members of the Super Majority Coalition “because we cooperated with the House leadership.”

“We are likewise grateful to Speaker Cayetano for steering Congress during those times as the anointed one who first assumed as a speaker based on the term sharing agreement,” Leachon said.

Nonetheless, Leachon acknowledged that the Palace lacks the power to choose the next House Speaker.

“Because House Members will be the one to vote after all. This is in consonance with the timed honored principle that the executive department cannot meddle into the internal affairs of a co-equal body,” Leachon said.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Velasco sought Duterte’s approval to run for House speakership during their meeting Monday night.

Roque said Duterte, in response, told Velasco it was his “right” to do so under his agreement.

“I cannot give you more detail other than, humingi po ng permiso si Congressman Lord Allan para tumakbo bilang Speaker at ang sagot po ng Presidente, ‘Karapatan mo yan, sang-ayon sa kasunduan ninyo ni kay Speaker Alan Cayetano,’” Roque said.

(I cannot give you more detail other than Congressman Lord Allan asked the President permission to run as Speaker and the President said, “That’s you right according to your agreement with Speaker Alan Cayetano.”)

Under the term-sharing agreement, Cayetano would serve as House Speaker in the first 15 months of the 18th Congress while Velasco would succeed to serve for the remaining 21 months under a term-sharing agreement.

On September 30—a day after news broke out that Velasco would take over as Speaker starting October 14—Cayetano offered to resign but was immediately rejected by his colleagues.

JPV