MANILA, Philippines (Updated 6:01 p.m.) — The term-sharing deal brokered between House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Rep. Lord Velasco (Marinduque) will be honored once the budget bill is passed, lawmakers said Sunday.
In a statement sent to reporters Sunday afternoon, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez said that the "gentleman's agreement" will be followed after the approval of the national budget for 2021 on its third and final reading on Friday, October 16.
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Under the agreement, Cayetano is slated to turn over leadership of the House 15 months into his term to Velasco, who will preside over the lower chamber for the next 21 months.
It is not clear how this will take place later on, and if Cayetano will be stepping down from his post.
"We will respect the term-sharing agreement and ensure a smooth transition of leadership in the House of Representatives," the statement by Romualdez reads.
"I assure my esteemed colleagues that the gentleman’s agreement will be honored after the approval of the national budget for 2021 on third and final reading on Friday, October 16. Let us set aside politics and focus first on the passage of the national budget as requested by the President," it also says.
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Velasco has claimed that he has numbers on his side, though Deputy Speaker LRay Villafuerte earlier claimed that majority of the lower chamber were in favor of Cayetano continuing as House Speaker.
"[Velasco] should have been active and partnered with the Speaker in working in Congress. I haven’t seen or heard Cong. Lord be active in any major issue. We don’t see him in Congress. It was really his choice not to be the presumptive Speaker," he said in an interview aired over ANC in September.
'The budget before politics'
In a press briefing Sunday, House leaders called on the lower chamber to prioritize first the budget hearings before the speakership row.
"Whatever clout they have, they should use it for getting the budget passed," Rep. Mike Defensor (Anakalusugan Party-list) said at the hearing. "Let's not use our influence for politics. Whatever we have, let's use all of this for the budget first," he added.
For his part, Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr (Surigao del Sur) said at the briefing: "What they should have done was bring it to plenary. The problem is the deal was only between the two of them...it was not binding. That's why when he offered to resign, it was rejected."
Pichay added that to create a vacancy allowing Velasco to take over, Cayetano would have to resign on his own despite the agreement, whose constitutionality has been questioned in the past, being non-binding. "We are focused on the budget. I don't think it would be a great service if the speaker is going to resign, because the budget will definitely be delayed," he said.
At the press briefing Sunday, Villafuerte challenged Velasco to show the numbers if they truly were on his side.
At a public address earlier this week, President Rodrigo Duterte slammed lawmakers for the delay, threatening that he would "do it for them" if the budget was not passed on time.
“If you do not solve the problem, then I will solve the problem for you. Mamili kayo (You choose), either we have the positive development where the people will be satisfied, our masters,” he said then.
This came after Cayetano on Tuesday, October 6 moved for the second reading approval of the 2021 budget and the suspension of session until November 16.
In an updated statement later Sunday, Romualdez joined calls to pass the P4.506-trillion outlay before ironing out the speakership issue. "I spoke to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea a while a go, he reconfirmed that President Duterte’s call for a special session under Proclamation No. 1027 is for Congress to resume the congressional deliberations on the proposed national budget," the statement read.
"The President also certified it as an urgent measure."
— Franco Luna with reports from Xave Gregorio
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.