'More or less 161' back Velasco bid for speakership, says ally

An ally of Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco on Thursday claimed that there are "more or less 161" lawmakers who are supportive of the latter's bid for speakership.

Oriental Mindoro Salvador Leachon made the remark as Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano challenged the Velasco camp to show him his "numbers" guaranteeing his election as Speaker.

"The number as of now... because I'm one of those listing and I was able to talk with almost all of the members together with the party leaders. As of now we have more or less 161," Leachon said in an interview with ANC.

According to Leachon, they had talked about signing a manifesto to actually list down all those who will support Velasco, but he said what will matter is their actual vote on the floor.

"At the end of the day, they will still tell their votes personally before the floor and that was required. May mga pumipirma noon. May iba pumipirma kaliwa't kanan e. So siguro importante na lang yung sasabihin the day itself," he said.

Leachon also disowned the manifesto that went around social media in support for Velasco, but did not state the name of the signatories, only their signatures.

"We say now that is not ours," he said.

Cayetano on Wednesday urged Velasco to show him his numbers if he indeed has it, or else he should now work with the rest of the House members on the 2021 national budget.

He reiterated this call in a new statement through Facebook live on Thursday.

"Come to my office, dala-dala yung listahan na may pirma ka ng majority, i-check natin na hindi nag-doble yung pumirma sayo at sa akin. Then just like in the Senate, as gentlemen, we can wait for November 16 then palitan mo ako," he said.

"Pero kung panay salita, ang dulot nun ay balita. So far panay salita yan so paano mo naman ako papalitan by just saying you have the numbers?" he added.

Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte also said earlier that Cayetano "easily" has around 200 lawmakers supporting him.

But Leachon said the Velasco camp could not show Cayetano their numbers because the House session has been suspended until November 16.

The supposed turnover of the speakership was to expect to happen on October 14, but with no session on that day, there can be no formal proceedings to transfer the position to Velasco.

"They've been saying 'Show us the numbers.' How can we show the number if in the first place he suspended it? Primarily because probably they are afraid already that you are losing the number," Leachon said.

"Even the minority bloc and so with us are actually condemning the illegal suspension of the session," he added.

Velasco earlier challenged Cayetano to honor the term-sharing agreement and step down from his post on October 14.

Under the original term-sharing agreement, Cayetano would hold the speakership for 15 months and Velasco would take over to finish the succeeding 21 months. -NB, GMA News