No plans to unseat the Speaker – PDP-Laban
Published Mar 2, 2020 12:00 am
By Ben Rosario
Confirming moves to unseat him as leader of the House of Representatives, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday said he is willing to face the challenge to oust him but demanded that the alleged plotters give up their posts if they cannot accept his leadership.
However, PDP-Laban spokesman Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel assured Cayetano that the party has no plans of participating in any call for a vote to oust him.
Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel
(FACEBOOK / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Pimentel said Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, the head of the party’s Lower House contingent, and all PDP-Laban congressmen “will not participate in the plot, if ever there is indeed one.” “In fact during the party leadership meeting last week, the main topic taken up was how we could strengthen the PDP-Laban. There was no talk of any move to unseat the Speaker whatsoever but we want the 15-21 term sharing arrangement to be honored,” Pimentel stated. He described as “grossly unfair” the plan of the Cayetano faction to unseat congressmen from House positions notwithstanding their non-involvement in the alleged coup. Cayetano has refused to confirm or deny if there will be a formal bid to unseat him by means of declaring all seats vacant. Cayetano told reporters during a chance interview that a congressional inquiry into government’s bid to collect P100 billion from government corporations has surfaced as among the reasons behind the plot to oust him. The House leader was apparently referring to the congressional inquiry into the P93 billion debt still unpaid to government by independent power producers, that included an affiliate of the San Miguel Corporations that is controlled by business magnate Ramon S. Ang. Ang is a close and strong supporter of Velasco whom Cayetano alleged to be the mastermind of the coup. The raging word war between the Cayetano and Velaso camps has sparked talks of a move by allies of the feuding camps to declare all seats vacant on Monday’s plenary session. This will pave the way for a floor vote on whether or not Cayetano should continue in office, eight months ahead of the implementation of a Duterte-endorsed 15-21 term sharing agreement between him and Velasco. “Well, I cannot predict what’s going to happen on the floor, which can happen anytime and any member can make any motion,” Cayetano said when asked if he expected such motion to be pursued on the floor. However, this scenario may unlikely happen since the Monday session was dedicated for women-related legislative measures in observance of the International Women’s Day. Cayetano warned foes against sowing intrigues that has allegedly caused disruption in the legislative work of the Lower House. “But if you’re going to continue sowing intrigues, umalis na lang kayo sa posisyon ninyo and then bumalik pagka naging Speaker na si Congressman Velasco, kailan man iyon, (resign from your posts then return when Congressman Velasco becomes speaker, whenever that might be),” he said. Despite the unfolding controversies, Cayetano said he will still defer to President Duterte’s decision on how to resolve House leadership issues. “Kung ano sabihin ng Pangulo pagdating sa leadership of House, never ko naisip na hindi sumunod sa ating pangulo (Whatever the President says about the House leadership, I never entertained thoughts of not complying),” the speaker stressed. Cayetano said he has never reneged on his vow to give Velasco his seat by November, saying that the 15-21 term sharing agreement was what President Duterte wanted when the 18th Congress opened on July 2019. Cayetano claimed it was Velasco’s camp who started the move to abandon the gentleman’s pact when the PDP-Laban stalwart started talking to 20 solons to offer them juicy posts and “budget.” Velasco vehemently denied Cayetano’s accusation while his key allies challenged the Cayetano camp to identify the 20 lawmakers they claimed to have received offers for better deals. (With a report by Ellson A. Quismorio)
Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel(FACEBOOK / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Pimentel said Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, the head of the party’s Lower House contingent, and all PDP-Laban congressmen “will not participate in the plot, if ever there is indeed one.” “In fact during the party leadership meeting last week, the main topic taken up was how we could strengthen the PDP-Laban. There was no talk of any move to unseat the Speaker whatsoever but we want the 15-21 term sharing arrangement to be honored,” Pimentel stated. He described as “grossly unfair” the plan of the Cayetano faction to unseat congressmen from House positions notwithstanding their non-involvement in the alleged coup. Cayetano has refused to confirm or deny if there will be a formal bid to unseat him by means of declaring all seats vacant. Cayetano told reporters during a chance interview that a congressional inquiry into government’s bid to collect P100 billion from government corporations has surfaced as among the reasons behind the plot to oust him. The House leader was apparently referring to the congressional inquiry into the P93 billion debt still unpaid to government by independent power producers, that included an affiliate of the San Miguel Corporations that is controlled by business magnate Ramon S. Ang. Ang is a close and strong supporter of Velasco whom Cayetano alleged to be the mastermind of the coup. The raging word war between the Cayetano and Velaso camps has sparked talks of a move by allies of the feuding camps to declare all seats vacant on Monday’s plenary session. This will pave the way for a floor vote on whether or not Cayetano should continue in office, eight months ahead of the implementation of a Duterte-endorsed 15-21 term sharing agreement between him and Velasco. “Well, I cannot predict what’s going to happen on the floor, which can happen anytime and any member can make any motion,” Cayetano said when asked if he expected such motion to be pursued on the floor. However, this scenario may unlikely happen since the Monday session was dedicated for women-related legislative measures in observance of the International Women’s Day. Cayetano warned foes against sowing intrigues that has allegedly caused disruption in the legislative work of the Lower House. “But if you’re going to continue sowing intrigues, umalis na lang kayo sa posisyon ninyo and then bumalik pagka naging Speaker na si Congressman Velasco, kailan man iyon, (resign from your posts then return when Congressman Velasco becomes speaker, whenever that might be),” he said. Despite the unfolding controversies, Cayetano said he will still defer to President Duterte’s decision on how to resolve House leadership issues. “Kung ano sabihin ng Pangulo pagdating sa leadership of House, never ko naisip na hindi sumunod sa ating pangulo (Whatever the President says about the House leadership, I never entertained thoughts of not complying),” the speaker stressed. Cayetano said he has never reneged on his vow to give Velasco his seat by November, saying that the 15-21 term sharing agreement was what President Duterte wanted when the 18th Congress opened on July 2019. Cayetano claimed it was Velasco’s camp who started the move to abandon the gentleman’s pact when the PDP-Laban stalwart started talking to 20 solons to offer them juicy posts and “budget.” Velasco vehemently denied Cayetano’s accusation while his key allies challenged the Cayetano camp to identify the 20 lawmakers they claimed to have received offers for better deals. (With a report by Ellson A. Quismorio)