Cayetano’s fearless forecast: Velasco won’t win in speakership election

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano predicted Wednesday that Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco would not have enough votes to secure the speakership.

In his speech before his fellow lawmakers, Cayetano pointed out that under the Constitution, a candidate needs to secure a majority of the votes among House members to be elected as Speaker.

“Under the Constitution, you need the majority of all members to be elected Speaker. So I can step aside. But I cannot guarantee, he (Velasco) will be elected,” Cayetano said.

“In fact, I will make a fearless forecast: Hindi siya mananalo. Or if I step aside, mananalo siya after one week makukudeta siya. Bakit? Maraming popular sa Kongreso,” he added.

(In fact, I will make a fearless forecast: He will not win. Or if I step aside, he will win but after one week he will be ousted. Why? There are a lot of popular personalities in Congress.)

Cayetano made the remark before he offered his resignation as Speaker of the House one day after news broke out that Velasco would take over the post starting October 14.

This offer, however, was immediately rejected by Cayetano’s colleagues.

Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor moved to deny Cayetano’s offer to resign and was seconded by Bulacan 1st District Rep.  Jose Antonio Sy Alvarado. Both lawmakers are known allies of Cayetano.

The motion was initially approved through voice voting but Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu later announced that nominal voting would be done.

In the end, 184 lawmakers voted to reject Cayetano’s offer to resign. [ac]