Has Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman sided with Marinduque lone district Rep. Lord Allan Velasco in the House leadership fight after being accused of having a huge infrastructure fund allocation by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano?
In a DZBB interview Sunday, Lagman--who calls himself a member of the 'independent opposition' in the House--opined that the "15-21" term-sharing agreement between Velasco and incumbent Speaker Cayetano "is being violated" by the Taguig-Pateros solon's clinging to power.
The Bicolano said there are currently two problems in the House that need to be resolved--the Speakership spat and the impasse on the proposed national budget, with the second problem coming as an offshoot of the first.
He noted that a loud and categorical statement from President Duterte would settle the Speakership conundrum.
"Kaya't sabihin ng ating Pangulo sa malakas na boses na marinig ng buong taumbayan at mga miyembro ng Mababang Kapulungan na ang kanyang desisyon ay tuparin ni Speaker Cayetano ang 15-21 agreement at magbitiw na siya sa pwesto bilang Speaker at mag-take over na si Rep. Lord Allan Velasco susog sa kanilang term-sharing agreement (The President must say in a loud voice, for the entire country and members of the Lower Chamber to hear, of his decision that Speaker Cayetano must follow the 15-21 agreement and resign as Speaker, thus letting Rep. Lord Allan Velasco take based on their term-sharing agreement)," Lagman said.
"Kung sabihin ni Presidente, malakas na boses at walang kaduda-duda, ay palagay ko bibitaw na si Speaker Cayetano para mag-take over na na walang gaanong gusot si Velasco (If the President will say this in a loud and clear manner, then I think Speaker Cayetano will resign and Velasco can take over without much fuss)," he added.
Under the gentleman's agreement, Cayetano will only sit as Speaker for the first 15 months of the current 18th Congress, with Velasco will serve at the helm for the final 21 months. Lagman claimed that the former senator was purposely avoiding having to honor the pact.
During plenary session last October 6, Cayetano identified Lagman as among the top 10 House members with the highest infrastructure fund allocations under the proposed P4.506-trillion national budget for 2021.
"Kayo ang witness di ba? Sa siyam na sinabi ni Congressman Lagman tungkol sa akin, sampu ay pagtuligsa (You're all witnesses right? Out of nine things that Congressman Lagman says about me, ten are criticisms). And that's his call…I still consider him a friend. He doesn't agree with me on the issues, so be it. Hindi naman nagalaw yung budget niya (His budget wasn't touched)," said Cayetano, who was trying to prove a point that his closest congressman-friends weren't a favored lot as far as the budget is concerned.
Cayetano did not say exactly how much infrastructure budget was lodged in Lagman's district. The latter has denied having such allocation.
Meanwhile, San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan Rep. Florida Robes called on her House colleagues "to put the welfare of the people at the forefront in the deliberations on the 2021 budget."
"In carrying out the legislative processes, may we be guided by righteousness, respect and dignity as we remain with our commitment to help President Rodrigo Duterte to bring the much needed assistance to the Filipino people in these difficult times," Robes said ahead of Tuesday's resumption of sessions.
President Duterte earlier ordered the House to conduct special sessions on the budget from October 13 to 16.