Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. said the 299-man House will benefit if the term-sharing agreement between House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco will not push through.
(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN / FILE PHOTO)
"Kung hindi matutuloy ang term-sharing eh mas lalong gaganda ang takbo ng Kongreso sa ating bansa sapagkat tested na kami under the leadership of Alan Peter Cayetano…Tuloy ang aming programa, tuloy tuloy ang aming koordinasyon at kung anumang legislation na kailangang ipasa, nagagawa namin especially our national budget,” he said.
(If the term-sharing will not happen, there will be more smooth sailing operations in Congress of our country because we are already tested under the leadership of Alan Peter Cayetano. Our programs will continue, our coordination will continue, and whatever legislation we need to pass, we can have them passed, especially our national budget)
He assured the public that "that there will be no reenacted budget” amid the raging Speakership issue.
Under the term-sharing deal, endorsed by President Duterte, Cayetano will serve as Speaker for the first 15 months of the 18th Congress or until October, and will step down by the end of this period to allow Velasco to take over during the last 21 months.
Barzaga, president of the National Unity Party (NUP), said so far, the representatives have not discussed among themselves the 15-21 term sharing pact brokered by Duterte, and assured that whoever will be the next Speaker, they will support him for the sake of national interest.
“We are matured politicians kung anuman ang interest na kinakailangan ng ating bansa, 'yung ang uunahin namin. We will set aside personal differences together with our other personal plans, 'yun ang lagi naming barometer,” he said.
(We are matured politicians, whatever the interest of our country, we will prioritize it. We will set aside personal differences together with our other personal plans, that’s always our barometer)