Cayetano resignation rejected; Velasco may still assume as House Speaker on Oct. 14
President Duterte finally put his foot down on the speakership row in the House of Representatives after he urged incumbent Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Speaker-in-waiting Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco to comply with “term-sharing agreement” they forged last year.
That means Velasco will replace Cayetano at the helm although there will be no reorganization for the rest of the leadership components in the House of Representatives.
“There will be no reorganization for now. Tell me, how can Congressman Velasco lead if the outgoing speaker’s allies continue to find fault and bad mouth his leadership?” disclosed a senior administration solon who was present at the Malacañang caucus called on Tuesday by President Duterte to resolve the House leadership controversy.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said President Duterte intervened in the House leadership row only because he is the head of the ruling PDP-Laban party.
Roque refused to confirm what really happened during the Palace meeting because he was given a specific order to leave the announcement to the House of Representatives as it is a co-equal branch.
It was learned that Velasco will take over the House leadership on October 14.
This developed after Duterte reportedly made sure his wish that all parties to the term-sharing agreement will abide by the gentleman's agreement.
This was clearly received by Cayetano and Velasco who came to the Palace meeting with at least seven of their key allies.
Comprising the Team Cayetano were Deputy Speakers LRay Villfuerte, Raneo Abu, and Rodante Marcoleta; Reps. Abraham Tolentino, Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado, Mikey Arroyo, and the speaker's wife, Taguig City Rep. Lani Cayetano.
On the other hand, Velasco was accompanied by Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero and Reps. Sharon Garin, Kristine Singson, Joseph Stephen Paduano, Jack Duavit, Mark Enverga, and Salvador Leachon.
Cayetano resignation nixed
But less than 24 hours after taking part in a meeting with President Duterte and Velasco in Malacañang, Cayetano announced his resignation as speaker Wednesday afternoon, only for it to be rejected by his House colleagues.
Cayetano did so in a privilege speech on the plenary floor amid the House of Representatives' debates on the proposed P4.506-trillion national budget for 2021.
Immediately after Cayetano ended his speech, Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor manifested that he rejects the offer of resignation.
He turned it into a motion shortly after.
The motion was carried by presiding officer, Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu, following a voice vote (ayes and nayes). Defensor subsequently moved for nominal or individual voting, to put the matter beyond question.
But Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Barbers said nominal voting isn't needed anymore since no “nay” votes were registered even from the House members on Zoom.
Defensor agreed.
Abu subsequently ruled that in order to avoid questions from the lawmakers, a nominal vote would be carried out on whether or not the plenary rejects Cayetano's offer of resignation.
Meanwhile, a House leader who was neither Velasco's nor Cayetano's party-mate told the Manila Bulletin that even if the Marinduque solon did get the President’s go-signal, he cannot be proclaimed as of last night as “the new speaker.”
“Getting himself (Velasco) elected is trickier. May botohan pa (There's still a vote), you can't be speaker by mere turnover. You need to get the majority vote of the (House) members,” said the House leader who declined to be named.
A source said members of Cayetano’s team chided Velasco right in front of Duterte after the President aired his wish that the gentleman’s agreement for a sharing of 15-21 months in the speakership post be observed by Cayetano and Velasco.
“Parang away pambarangay ang nangyari mabuti naman hindi kumibo si Cong. Lord (What happened was likened to a quarrel in the barangay level, but it was fortunate Cong. Lord remained silent). He did not stoop down to their level,” the lawmaker said.
Leachon confirmed that congressmen allied with Cayetano “launched a personal attack” against Velasco during the caucus. Villafuerte and Alvarado, chairman of the House Committee on Good Government, were named by Leachon as among those who delivered unsavory speeches against Velasco.
“Yes, that is true. Sinabi nila na kahit gusto nilang sundin ang wish ng Pangulo ay si Cong. Lord daw ay nagtaksil sa agreement dahil may mga coup’etat daw na isinagawa ito (Yes, that’s true. They said they wanted to follow the wishes of the President but it was Cong. Lord who betrayed the agreement because of several coup attempts),” Leachon told a television interview on Wednesday.
Leachon also belied the source’s claim that there was an agreement between Cayetano and Velasco to maintain the current leadership organization in the chamber.
Deputy Speaker and Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte insisted that Velasco is bound to maintain the current structure because this is part of the termsharing pact.
It was recalled, however, that it was the Cayetano speakership that may have violated this alleged part of the gentleman’s agreement when he sacked Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab as chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations and Leachon as head of the House contingent to the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal.
The Duterte-brokered gentleman’s agreement involved only the position of the speakership which was contested by Cayetano, Velasco, and incumbent Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez. Under the agreement, Cayetano was given the first chance to lead the House but only for 15 months. Velasco was to take over next and will serve out the remaining 21 months.
Romualdez, on the other hand, was to serve the whole three-year term as majority leader. Leachon said Velasco, head of all PDP-Laban congressmen, would have easily won the speakership race because he clearly had the numbers last year.
However, the incoming speaker readily agreed to Duterte’s suggestion for a term-sharing agreement because the Marinduque solon treated the President “like his own father.” (With a report from Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)