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‘BAKIT PO TAYO MAGPIPILIT’

Cayetano say he’s willing to step down if House members no longer want him as Speaker


Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano is willing to step down from his position if his fellow lawmakers at the House of Representatives no longer want him to be their leader anymore.

Cayetano made the remark in a radio interview after the House plenary session on Monday, where an alleged plot to oust him from his position was supposed to take place.

"Ang bilin ko po kanina, kung mayroong magmu-move, pagbigyan nila. Kasi kung ayaw na sa akin, kusa po akong aalis. Bakit po tayo magpipilit?" Cayetano said.

"Pero hindi naman pupuwede po na ‘pag may isa o dalawa manggugulo ay ‘yung buong Kongreso, susunod na lang," he added.

On Sunday, presidential son and Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte confirmed sending a text message to lawmakers saying that he would ask the Mindanao Bloc to declare House leadership positions vacant on Monday afternoon amid issues involving budgetary allocations for the legislative districts of congressmen.

"The text message that I sent to another lawmaker — and is now making the rounds — was an expression of my personal dismay upon hearing the concerns of my fellow lawmakers," he said.

However, on Monday, no motion to declare the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speakers vacant was made as the House plenary session abruptly ended just 18 minutes after it was called to order.

Cayetano said that although Duterte and him are not always talking personally with each other, he respects the President's son very much and he believes the latter also respects the Office of the Speaker.

"I believe magkaibigan kami—clinarify naman niya na ‘wag lang kasi gagamitin pangalan niya at gusto lang niya maayos ang takbo at ‘yung mga pondo," he said.

Duterte himself said that although numerous lawmakers had called to tell him their concerns over their districts' budget allocations, he maintained that he does not want to get involved in the ongoing budgetary squabbles.

Apology over House squabble

Cayetano, meanwhile, apologized to the public over the quarrelling at the House over budget issues.

"Let me take this opportunity to apologize to the public. Isa o dalawang congressman lang po ‘yan na nag-aaway sa pondo. A great majority of congressmen po ay mature, tinitignan po ‘yung overall," he said.

For now, what is important for Cayetano is to finish the ongoing budget deliberations and allocate the needed funds to help boost the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Gusto ko pong matapos lang muna ang usapin. Ang budget ng DOH (Department of Health) ay napakababa, nasa gitna tayo ng giyera ng COVID, bumaba pa, imbes na tumaas, sa DOH. Sa kabuhayan, ang daming nawalan ng trabaho. We have to find a way to jumpstart and pump-prime our economy," he said.

"Pero ito po, sa ating mga kaibigan na kongresista, o kung sinumang mga power-brokers sa ating bansa, kung hindi niyo na gusto ang panunungkulan ko bilang Speaker, hindi kailangan ng coup d‘etat. Ipakita niyo lang sa akin na ang majority ayaw na sa akin at magiging very smooth ang transition natin," he added. 

Cayetano has a standing term-sharing agreement with Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco, in which the former would hold the speakership for 15 months and the latter would take over to finish the next 21 months. — RSJ, GMA News

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