Declaring Cayetano’s post vacant can be done on Monday ‘if majority agrees’ — Garin
MANILA, Philippines — Will the camp of Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco pull the trigger and declare the post of House Speaker Cayetano vacant on Monday, October 12?
This plan can be done “if the majority agrees,” AAMBIS-OWA Partylist Rep. Sharon Garin said as Velasco supporters gathered at the Celebrity Sports Complex in Quezon City following a manifesto calling the House to assemble, declare Cayetano’s post vacant, and elect the Marinduque lawmaker at the helm of the chamber.
“That will depend on the body. That’s an idea or want that has not been discarded. There are options as long as we don’t disrupt the budget. We can do that if the majority agrees among those who are present or via Zoom today,” Garin, a Velasco supporter, told CNN Philippines when asked if their camp plans to declare the Speaker’s post vacant during the gathering.
READ: ‘Majority will do the talking’: Velasco allies gather at QC venue amid speakership row
Garin said there are “no plans” yet on what will happen during the meeting, adding that the gathering is not a “surprise session or an ambush.”
She added that the lawmakers present wanted to talk about the national budget as well as the leadership of the House, an issue that has been hounding the lower chamber.
“So far there is no plan. We just wanted to meet and talk. Right now we are having breakfast. Actually just talking because we haven’t seen each other in a long time. It just shows a big number of people or congressmen that are joining the same cause.” Garin said.
“We will talk in a while to determine what to do because we have seen that we have more than majority of the members of the House. So we’ll decide on it as we decide in a while,” she added.
Garin said a “substantial number” of congressmen are present in the gathering.
“Right now, as the past two weeks, Speaker has been questioning, should Velasco take over? Does he have the capacity to do that? Does he have the numbers? So today we decided to meet before budget deliberations as instructed by the executive order,” Garin said.
“Pero before we start, we just wanted to see the conviction of the members. Kasi kinu-question as to how many people are for Velasco and for Cayetano. Then we wanted to have a meeting and to show to people where the conviction lies,” she added.
The gathering is happening a day before the special session for the deliberations of the proposed 2021 budget from October 13 to 16 following the call of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Garin said that despite the meeting among the lawmakers, the priority remains to be the passage of the national budget.
“Our first priority is not to delay the budget, that’s for sure. Pero if you install Velasco today or after budget, there’s not much difference. Basta yung 13 to 16, matapos namin yung budget,” Garin said.
“That’s why we met today not tomorrow para hindi na ma-interrupt ang budget tsaka hindi na ma-delay. So ang kailangan lang, finish the budget on the 16th, yun ang main objective,” she added.
