Duterte values ‘palabra de honor’ amid speakership row — Palace

Malacañang on Wednesday declined to confirm what transpired during the meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and lawmakers over the battle for leadership of the House of Representatives, saying it would be “awkward” to make such an announcement.

Reports surfaced on Tuesday night that Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco would replace Taguig City Representative Alan Peter Cayetano as Speaker by October 14 following a meeting with Duterte at the presidential palace.

Allies of the contending camps, however, issued conflicting statements on the decision reached while the Palace said Cayetano would make the announcement.

“I'm surprised why there has not been any pronouncement from Congress, but it would be awkward if the announcement on the leadership of the House will come from the Palace,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque told ANC in an interview.

The Palace official said Duterte intervened in the speakership issue because the latter is the head of the ruling coalition in the House of Representatives. It was Duterte who brokered a term-sharing agreement between Velasco and Cayetano last year.

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.

Roque reiterated Duterte’s previous statement that the parties should honor the agreement and that the President could not do anything if Velasco does not have enough support from House members to succeed Cayetano.

“I know that the President values palabra de honor and that’s a phrase that I have heard from his own mouth,” Roque said.

“But I know that the President is also a seasoned politician. He knows that he can only endorse someone to a certain extent, but if there really is a choice amongst them he cannot do anything about it.”

Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte said that Cayetano assured the President that he would honor the agreement but he could not speak for the "majority" of congressmen who wanted the Taguig lawmaker to stay in his post. — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News