Velasco faction moves to unseat Cayetano as House speaker
MANILA, Philippines — The administration faction supporting Rep. Lord Allan Velasco (Marinduque) is pushing to unseat Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano (Taguig-Pateros) as speaker of the House of Representatives by declaring the position vacant Monday morning.
In a manifesto shared to media, the Velasco faction claims to have the support of 187 House members, which constitute a majority of House of Representatives’ 299 members.
“In accordance with Section 13, Rule 3 of the Rules of the House of Representatives, of the 18th Congress, we call to assemble, move to and cast our vote to declare the position of Speaker VACANT on Monday, October 12, 2020,” the manifesto read.
“Further, also in accordance with the same Section, we will move to and cast our vote to declare Representative Lord Allan Velasco of Marinduque as Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 18th Congress,” it added.
According to the House rules, “[t]he position of Speaker may only be declared vacant through nominal voting by a majority vote of all the Members. In cases when all offices are declared vacant, the incumbent Secretary General shall preside over the proceedings of the House only for the purpose and until the election of a new Speaker.”
The Velasco faction said the lower chamber is in need of a leader “with a heart of a public servant, and not with a heart of a tyrant; a leader who listens and empowers others, and not just to a clique who builds walls to shun others; and a leader who is committed to serving the people rather than serving his self-interest and personal ambition.”
Under the term-sharing deal brokered by President Rodrigo Duterte, Cayetano will serve as speaker for the first 15 months, which will end by October 2020, if followed. Velasco will then take over the post for 21 months or until June 2022.
The House session has been suspended until Tuesday, when it convenes for a special session that Duterte called for last week.
READ: Cayetano stays on as House speaker after offer to quit
Issues on national budget bill
The Velasco faction also said it manifests its “earnest and full commitment” to the chief executive’s certification of the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget as urgent.
“We have likewise the constitutional responsibility to pass a budget that is fair, equitable, timely, and responsive to the needs of our country and our communities, as we battle a very serious public health and economic crisis,” the manifesto read.
House lawmakers are supposed to convene from October 13 to 16 for a special session to resume plenary deliberations on the 2021 budget. The House session is currently suspended after the budget was approved on second reading last week.
The Velasco faction said the termination of deliberations “deprived the Filipino of people of exercising, through their duly-elected Representatives, their right to participate in crafting a national budget that would best serve the country.”
“The House members were stripped of their legislative duty to scrutinize the spending plan of various important agencies… As a result, this invalid delegation effectively railroads and replaces the important budget process which is comprised of sponsorship, debate and amendments,” the manifesto read.
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