Velasco reminds Cayetano of honor: Finish budget and resign on October 14
MANILA, Philippines — District Rep. Lord Allan Velasco (Marinduque) on Friday finally responded to the attacks of House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano (Taguig-Pateros).
Velasco appealed to Cayetano to finish the deliberations for the 2021 national budget and step down from his post on October 14 — the supposed end date of the first half of the term-sharing agreement brokered by President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Speaker Cayetano, you gave your word in front of the president to honor the term-sharing agreement...In the coming days and weeks and months, let us show the public that we, as your representatives, are still decent, honorable and trust-worthy leaders whose only agenda is to serve the people,” Velasco said in a video statement posted on his Facebook page.
Velasco also claimed that Cayetano and his allies' hold for power through the pretext of budget deliberations "only raises suspicion."
“Ang mga tanong po kay Speaker Cayetano at sa kanyang barkada: budget ba ito para sa bayan or budget ng mga barkada mo? Makabuluhang budget ba ito sa gitna ng pandemya o malaking budget ba ito para sa grupo mo? Is this why Speaker Cayetano and his sidekicks are adamant and fiercely fighting the peaceful transition of House leadership? Is this why Speaker Cayetano is trying to blackmail President Duterte and hold the budget hostage if his term is not extended?”
Under the term-sharing deal between Velasco and Cayetano, the incumbent speaker would step down after 15 months in office to be succeeded by the Marinduque lawmaker who would occupy the post for 21 months.
Cayetano on the last day of September offered to step down as speaker but 184 of his colleagues voted to reject his resignation.
Malacañang has since taken a hands-off approach to the speakership row in the House.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Thursday said that Duterte would not interfere in the power struggle between Cayetano and Velasco.
“Ulitin ko po ang paninindigan ng ating Presidente, iyong pagpili po ng liderato ng Kamara ay isang internal matter para sa Kamara de Representante at nirirespeto naman po ng Presidente ang naging desisyon ng Kamara na ibinasura po iyong pagri-resign ni Speaker Alan Cayetano,” Roque said.
“Ang bilin po niya, kinakailangan mapasa talaga ang budget sa lalong mabilis na panahon dahil nakapaloob po sa budget iyong ating COVID-19 response at kung magkakaroon po tayo ng reenacted budget ay iyong budget sa taong ito po, wala pong COVID-19 response diyan dahil wala pa naman pong COVID,” he added.
Cayetano on Wednesday offered to step down as the speaker of the House of Representatives but stayed on after his colleagues rejected the idea. The speaker's move was roundly condemned as merely a stunt. — with reports from Xave Gregorio
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