So as not to further put the Lower Chamber in limbo and resolve the Speakership row, some members of the House of Representatives think that there should be formal election of new Speaker in the plenary today.
This is when the House of Representatives opens the four-day special session to pass the 2021 General Appropriations Bill.
"Numbers will be decided today as per Proclamation 1027, calling for a Special Session,” Samar 1st District Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento said in a text message.
On Friday, the President issued Proclamation No. 1027 calling on Congress to a special session on Oct. 13 to 16 “to avoid any further delays on the prompt passage” of the 2021 national budget. The issuance of a proclamation was made a day after Duterte warned that he would step in to solve the House leadership squabble that was impeding the immediate approval of the GAB.
Ang Probinsyano partylist Rep. Ronnie Ong agreed with Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman that the election of Speaker should be conducted in the plenary.
"Being a neophyte in Congress we are very new to all this. I agree on what Cong Edcel Lagman said that the Speaker should be elected in plenary,” he said.
He appealed to his warring camps to "sit down and talk” and prioritize first the passage of the P4.506-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) on third and final reading.
"We are hoping like gentlemen the two opposing camps should really sit down and talk, as Malacañang has spoken that the passing of the National Budget is more important than any political squable. National budget muna (first) then we take on the speakership immediately after,” Ong said.
The Lower Chamber was apparently caught in a bind with two Speakers claiming to be its legitimate leader.
Around 186 lawmakers elected Marinduque lone district Rep. Lord Allan Velasco in an assembly held at the Celebrity Sports Plaza in Quezon City on Monday, October 12, 2020.
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano described Velasco’s election as a “fake session.”
For her part, Masbate 2nd District Rep. Elisa “Olga” Kho, who was among those who voted for Velasco, said, “For me to end this squabble, nominal voting for Speakership should be done to know who has the numbers and whoever lost should be man enough to accept defeat and continue the budget hearing.”
"Nominal voting, one by one and physically present, via Zoom or call, not text as long as you can see the Congressman via zoom speaking who is he or she voting for, do not mute him or her,” she said in a text message.
She noted that before the election for speakership, there was a briefing on the constitutionality of the procedure and it was Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez who cited cases, House rules, and articles and sections of the Constitution that made the Oct. 12 proceedings legal.
Kho, chairperson of the House Committee on Rural Development, said she voted for Velasco "because for me, word of honor is important.”
“I know Speaker Cayetano is a good Speaker, pero (but) from the very beginning we knew they had a gentlemen agreement na (that) come end of 15 months, Cong. Lord will take over based on term sharing, and that was noon time of September 30 because 18th Congress started June 30, 2020 12 noon when we took our oath as congressmen, not 0ctober 12 nor October 16,” she said.
Formal election of new Speaker in the plenary sought
By Charissa Luci-Atienza
So as not to further put the Lower Chamber in limbo and resolve the Speakership row, some members of the House of Representatives think that there should be formal election of new Speaker in the plenary today.
This is when the House of Representatives opens the four-day special session to pass the 2021 General Appropriations Bill.
"Numbers will be decided today as per Proclamation 1027, calling for a Special Session,” Samar 1st District Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento said in a text message.
On Friday, the President issued Proclamation No. 1027 calling on Congress to a special session on Oct. 13 to 16 “to avoid any further delays on the prompt passage” of the 2021 national budget. The issuance of a proclamation was made a day after Duterte warned that he would step in to solve the House leadership squabble that was impeding the immediate approval of the GAB.
Ang Probinsyano partylist Rep. Ronnie Ong agreed with Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman that the election of Speaker should be conducted in the plenary.
"Being a neophyte in Congress we are very new to all this. I agree on what Cong Edcel Lagman said that the Speaker should be elected in plenary,” he said.
He appealed to his warring camps to "sit down and talk” and prioritize first the passage of the P4.506-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) on third and final reading.
"We are hoping like gentlemen the two opposing camps should really sit down and talk, as Malacañang has spoken that the passing of the National Budget is more important than any political squable. National budget muna (first) then we take on the speakership immediately after,” Ong said.
The Lower Chamber was apparently caught in a bind with two Speakers claiming to be its legitimate leader.
Around 186 lawmakers elected Marinduque lone district Rep. Lord Allan Velasco in an assembly held at the Celebrity Sports Plaza in Quezon City on Monday, October 12, 2020.
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano described Velasco’s election as a “fake session.”
For her part, Masbate 2nd District Rep. Elisa “Olga” Kho, who was among those who voted for Velasco, said, “For me to end this squabble, nominal voting for Speakership should be done to know who has the numbers and whoever lost should be man enough to accept defeat and continue the budget hearing.”
"Nominal voting, one by one and physically present, via Zoom or call, not text as long as you can see the Congressman via zoom speaking who is he or she voting for, do not mute him or her,” she said in a text message.
She noted that before the election for speakership, there was a briefing on the constitutionality of the procedure and it was Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez who cited cases, House rules, and articles and sections of the Constitution that made the Oct. 12 proceedings legal.
Kho, chairperson of the House Committee on Rural Development, said she voted for Velasco "because for me, word of honor is important.”
“I know Speaker Cayetano is a good Speaker, pero (but) from the very beginning we knew they had a gentlemen agreement na (that) come end of 15 months, Cong. Lord will take over based on term sharing, and that was noon time of September 30 because 18th Congress started June 30, 2020 12 noon when we took our oath as congressmen, not 0ctober 12 nor October 16,” she said.