Duterte says he can’t do anything if Velasco doesn’t have enough support in House — Palace

President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed hope that Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco will respect the term-sharing agreement he brokered last year to ensure smooth leadership transition in the House of Representatives.

At a news conference on Tuesday, however, Duterte’s spokesperson Harry Roque said the President disclosed on Monday that he could not do anything if Velasco does not have enough support from House members to succeed Cayetano later this year.

“He’s hoping na tutupad sa usapan ang partido pero kung wala pong numbers si Congressman Lord Allan eh wala po siyang magagawa,” Roque said.

“The President is hoping that the Speaker and Congressman Velasco will honor their agreement, but ultimately the decision will be the decision of the individual congressmen.”

Under the deal, Cayetano will hold the speakership post for 15 months from the beginning of the 18th Congress in July last year. Velasco will then take over to serve the remaining 21 months.

However, Cayetano said Velasco and his supporters have attempted to undermine the deal by supposedly hatching a plan to oust him.

Cayetano alleged that Velasco and his camp were expecting that a motion to declare the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions vacant would be made on Monday amid squabbles over infrastructure funds allocated for legislative districts under the proposed 2021 national budget.

Duterte’s advice

In a radio interview earlier in the day, Cayetano said he will seek Duterte’s advice by November regarding the Speakership issue.

“Ang usapan naman, ako, I told the President I will go to him when it comes to November. I will seek his guidance as head of the coalition, then we will see what will happen,” he said.

Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte told ANC in an interview on Tuesday that the majority of congressmen wanted Cayetano to stay in his post.

Villafuerte also accused Velasco of not being active in House affairs, adding it was the Marinduque congressman’s choice “not to be the presumptive Speaker.”

Velasco has yet to issue any statement over Cayetano’s allegations. 

Senators have expressed concern that power struggle in the House could derail the passage of the P4.506-trillion spending plan for 2021, but the Palace said Duterte wants the budget passed on time as the country attempts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. — RSJ, GMA News