Cayetano to Velasco: Honor agreement on no House leadership changes

MANILA, Philippines — There should be no changes in the leadership and committee chairmanships in the House of Representatives, Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano reminded newly-elected Speaker Lord Allan Velasco on Wednesday as the speakership row drew to a close.

In a Facebook live, Cayetano said it is now Velasco’s turn to show that he has “palabra de honor” (word of honor)  and push through with their supposed agreement that there will be no changes in leadership and committee chairmanships in the lower chamber even if there is already a new Speaker of the House.

“I am just asking Congressman Velasco, [who] will be our new Speaker, na sabi mo sa akin palabra de honor, then palabra de honor din sa side nyo. Dahil malinaw na sinabi ng ating Pangulo na he doesn’t want disruption so walang palitan ng kahit sinong chairmanship at leadership sa Kongreso,” Cayetano said.

“You told me palabra de honor, so palabra de honor [from] your side,” he added.

Cayetano claimed that some congressmen from Velasco’s camp are asking his supporters to just vacate their leadership posts.

“There are now some of your people na gustong mang-bengga talking to some of our people na magpalit na lang, umalis na lang, pati kwarto kinukuha,” Cayetano said.

“Let’s not do that, let’s all focus sa budget and as I promised you, kahit tingnan niyo yung text ko sa ating mga suporta, please support the new leadership, please get the budget passed,” he added.

Cayetano resigned as speaker on Tuesday after the majority of the members of the lower chamber elected Velasco as House leader.

Under the term-sharing agreement brokered by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte, Cayetano will serve as Speaker in the first 15 months of the 18th Congress before he will be succeeded by Velasco who will serve the next 21 months.

Cayetano has also previously mentioned that aside from the speakership change, only the chairperson of the House committee on accounts should be replaced.

However, the recent change in House speakership has raised questions on whether or not Cayetano-allied leaders will keep their leadership posts as deputy speakers and committee chairpersons.

“I’d just like to thank all those who supported me, ‘yung iba nagulat yesterday. I know na naniniwala tayo at the legal is on our side na dapat sa floor ang eleksyon at ‘yan ay mangyayari pa at alam ko talaga na yung suporta, nasa atin,” Cayetano said.

“Ang problema, magkakagulo at ayokong magkagulo. Kapag nagkagulo, yung bansa natin ang kawawa. Ang bayan natin ang kawawa. Giving up a position but helping everyone else is, for me, more important than keeping the position and then magulo naman,” he added.

/MUF