Velasco to Cayetano: You gave your word, quit on Oct. 14

Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco on Friday called on House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano to finish the deliberations on the proposed 2021 national budget and resign by October 14.

“Speaker Cayetano, you gave your word in front of the President to honor the term-sharing agreement. Please, I appeal to you, finish the budget and resign on October 14,” Velasco said in a video posted on Facebook.

“In the coming days and weeks and months, let us show the public that we, as your representatives, are still decent, honorable, and trustworthy leaders whose only agenda is to serve the people,” he added

Velasco said that Cayetano promised President Rodrigo Duterte that he would resign from his post on October 14 as part of a term-sharing agreement.

Meanwhile, Cayetano said Duterte has asked Velasco to move the turnover of the speakership to December to give way for budget deliberations, a request which Cayetano said he has repeatedly rejected.

According to Velasco, the budget could be passed “in a timely manner” before the scheduled date.

“When we met with the President early this week, it was made clear, and I agree, that there should no disruption in the passage of the budget and the House can pass the government’s expenditure plan in a timely manner on or before October 14,” Velasco said.

“But to hang on the speakership and extend his term until December on the pretext of budget deliberations only raises suspicion,” he added.

Velasco alleged that Cayetano was holding the budget deliberations in order to obtain funds.

“Ang mga tanong po kay Speaker Cayetano at sa kaniyang barkada, budget ba ito para sa bayan o budget ng mga barkada mo. Makabuluhang budget ba ito sa gitna ng pandemya o malaking budget ba ito para sa grupo mo,” he said.

“Is this why Speaker Cayetano and his sidekicks are adamant in fiercely fighting the peaceful transition of House leadership? Is this why Speaker Cayetano is trying to blackmail President Duterte and hold the budget hostage if his term is not extended? he added.

According to the representative, Cayetano “shamelessly and unabashedly resorted to attacking [him] and spreading lies” in a “desperate attempt to hang on to power and tighten his grip on House speakership.”

Velasco denied Cayetano’s claims that he was behind a coup plot against him, saying that it “defied reason” as he is set to begin his 21-month term starting October 14 based on the agreement.

“That is the deal, and I have honored that deal since then. Coup plot? It’s a cheap shot,” he said.

He also denied the accusations that he had been doing nothing over the past 15 months.

“One of the many lies they were spreading was that I was inactive and tamad daw ako. This is a complete falsehood. I have always worked quietly and consistently away from the camera,” Velasco said. -NB, GMA News