Velasco to honor term-sharing deal with Cayetano amid reports of 'coup plans'

Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco on Thursday maintained that he will honor the term-sharing agreement between him and Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano amid reports of a supposed ouster plot against the latter.

In a statement, Velasco said reports of a “coup” plan to change the House leadership were far from the truth.

“The reports were meant to create deep division within the House of Representatives and its members, destroy camaraderie, distract lawmakers from fulfilling their mandate, and more importantly, derail the key legislative agenda of the Duterte Administration,” he said.

“Up to this day, I continue to honor the term-sharing agreement brokered by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte when the 18th Congress convened in July 2019. From the beginning, I never had any intention of reneging on this agreement. Tayo po ay lalaking may isang salita,” he added.

Under the term-sharing agreement, Cayetano will hold the speakership post for 15 months from the beginning of the 18th Congress. Velasco will then take over for the next 21 months.

Cayetano has claimed that the issue on the ABS-CBN franchise renewal, which the House had not taken up until only last Monday, was being used to call for his resignation from his post.

He said such a call is best made in the plenary, adding he will step down from his post the moment he no longer enjoys the trust and confidence of the majority of congressmen.

"Marami kaming namo-monitor na issues: una, sa budget; ngayon naman, sa ABS-CBN na ginagamit para sabihin na time na na umalis ako. This is how I know to do my job. Hindi ako marunong na bara-bara," Cayetano said.

"Kung kayang tanggapin ‘to ng majority ng mga kongresista, thank you. Kung hindi, then it’s time to choose a new leader and bahala na kayo. No problem," he added.

But according to Cebu City Representative Raul Del Mar, an author of a joint resolution seeking to extend ABS-CBN's franchise, there is no move to unseat Cayetano from his position in the House.

Del Mar told ANC on Wednesdayhis fellow lawmakers respect the term-sharing agreement between Cayetano and Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco with regards to the speakership, and he says the latter also honors that deal.

Meanwhile, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate said they are calling for the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise not because they want a change of leadership in the House but because they want to surface the issues surrounding the non-renewal of the TV network's franchise.

Currently, there are 11 bills filed at the House of Representatives seeking to renew the franchise of ABS-CBN which is set to expire on May 4.

On Monday, Committee on Legislative Franchises chair Franz Alvarez announced the panel is now open to accepting position papers for or against the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise, signalling the start of the proceedings of the chamber on the matter.

He and Cayetano also sent a letter to the National Telecommunications Commission to formally request the grant of a provisional authority to operate to ABS-CBN effective May 4 until the House has come up with a decision on the franchise application of the network. —KBK, GMA News