House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has taken his oath as the re-elected Marinduque lone district representative in the 19th Congress while he shared the stage with Vice President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Velasco has held this post from 2010 to 2013 in the 15th Congress; and then from 2016 consecutively In the 16th Congress into the incoming 19th incoming Congress.
He took oath at the Marinduque Sports Complex, Municipality of Boac, Marinduque Province before Supreme Court Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez; Duterte held the bible upon which Velasco swore his oath.
“Sa bawat pagsubok at hamon na ating kinaharap sa Kongreso, iisa lamang po ang aking pangunahing gabay--- ang Pag-ibig. Pag-ibig sa Panginoon, Pag-ibig sa Bayan, at Pag-ibig sa Pamilya. Ito ang nagpapabangon sa atin tuwing umaga upang gawin ang lahat ng ating makakaya upang lalong bumuti ang kalagayan ng ating bayan at ng ating bansa (For every trial and tribulation faced by the Congress, there was only one guiding principle: Love. Love for God, for country, and for family. This is what got us up every morning in order to do what we could to improve the situation of our province and country),” Velasco said in his speech before the Marinduqueños present at his oath taking on Sunday, June 26.
“Ito rin po ang dahilan kung bakit lubos ang paghanga ko kay Mayor Inday. Dalisay po ang pag-ibig niya sa ating bayan. Isang probinsyanang Punong-Bayan na nakinig sa hiling ng mamamayan na maglingkod hindi lamang sa isang lungsod bagkus, sa buong bansa (This is what I admire most in Duterte. Her love for our country is pure. She is a provincial leader who listens to the voice of the people and serves not only the province but the entire country),” he continued.
Duterte, during the swearing in ceremony, asked that she be recognized as an “adopted daughter” of the Marinduque Province–a request which Velasco affirmed by asking that the Provincial Council resolve to recognize her as such.
He concluded his speech by issuing a reminder to the youth of Marinduque.
“At sa paglipas ng panahon, nais kong ipaalala sa mga kabataan, lalo na sa kabataan ng Marinduque, na ‘kaya natin;’ na huwag magduda at huwag maliitin ang pinanggalingan. Kaya nating mapabuti ang bayan, mapabuti ang ating pamayanan, mapabuti ang ating barangay at mga tahanan (As time goes on, I want to remind the youth, especially those of Marinduque: we can do this, don’t doubt or underestimate your origins. We can improve our province, our community, our barangays and our homes),” Velasco said.
“Kaya natin kahit ang tanging tangan lamang natin ay ang pananampalataya sa Panginoon, ang mabuting prinsipyo, at pagmamahal sa bayan. Kaya nating itakda ang sariling tadhana, dahil tayo ang susunod na pagbabago (We can do this through our faith in God, our principles, and love for country. We can forge our own destiny because we are the incoming change),” the outgoing House Speaker concluded.