'Supermajority' of solons wants Cayetano to stay as Speaker —Villafuerte

The "supermajority" of members of the House of Representatives wants Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano to continue serving at the helm of the chamber despite the standing term-sharing agreement between him and Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco.

Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte made the remark on Monday amid the supposed plot to remove Cayetano from the speakership.

"If you will ask the congressmen now, the supermajority of congressmen now would like Speaker Alan Cayetano to continue. Why? Nakita naman ninyo yung performance ng Congress, kahit may break nagta-trabaho, tumaas ang rating," Villafuerte said in an ANC interview.

"Kung meron mang nagrereklamo, one or two people, which the Speaker will resolve. So that is the sentiment of the members of Congress now," he added.

Both Cayetano and Velasco have a standing term-sharing agreement in which the former would hold the speakership for 15 months and the latter would take over to finish the next 21 months.

The agreement was brokered by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte at the start of the 18th Congress in July last year.

But in a radio interview on Monday, Cayetano accused Velasco and his supporters of being behind the most recent supposed attempt to remove him position.

"From their side, gusto nila, gentleman’s agreement daw, sumunod ako. Pero I think, pangatlo, pang-apat na coup attempt na nila ‘to e. Tingin 'ata nila na padamihan ng attempt at, finally, kapag maraming attempt, makukuha nila," Cayetano said.

Velasco has yet to respond to the accusation of Cayetano.

Nevertheless, Villafuerte said that they will wait for what the President will say about the speakership issue come November, when Velasco was supposedly scheduled to take over the position.

"Ang sabi namin, we will follow the President. Why? Despite the fact there is a separation of the executive and the legislative, the President is the leader of the coalition. So whatever he says, we will follow," he said.

"Ako personally I would want Speaker Cayetano to continue. Maganda ang performance niya and I feel, if it comes to a vote, supermajority of congressmen will vote for him," he added.—AOL, GMA News