No session at House on Monday despite call to elect Velasco as Speaker —House SecGen

House Secretary General Jose Luis Montales maintained that there will be no session at the chamber on Monday despite the call of "187 lawmakers" to move to declare the House Speaker seat vacant and elect Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco.

In a text message to GMA News Online, Montales responded to claims that the power and Internet connectivity at the House Plenary Hall have been cut off supposedly in anticipation of the "session" to elect Velasco as Speaker.

"Power in the Plenary Hall is turned off because there’s no session today. Same with Internet, which is given to other offices that are open," he said.

"Session is suspended and will resume tomorrow at 3 p.m.," he added, in accordance with President Rodrigo Duterte's call for a special session of Congress to resume the plenary deliberations on the 2021 budget.

Supporters of Velasco gathered at an events place in Quezon City after calling in a manifesto to assemble and elect the Marinduque lawmaker as Speaker.

"In accordance with Section 13, Rule 3 of the Rules of the House of Representatives, of the 18th Congress, we call to assemble, move to and cast our vote to declare the position of Speaker VACANT on Monday, October 12, 2020," the manifesto read.

"Further, also in accordance with the same Section, we will move to and cast our vote to declare Representative Lord Allan Velasco of Marinduque as Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 18th Congress," it added.

Valenzuela City Representative Eric Martinez, who is one of the lawmakers going to the events place on Monday morning, has yet to confirm if the election of Velasco will take place at the events place or at the Batasang Pambansa complex.

Meanwhile, House Sergeant at Arms retired police deputy director general Ramon Apolinario said the mace seen at the pro-Velasco gathering is not the official mace of the House.

"I am in custody of the official mace of the House of Representatives. That is not the Official mace," he said. —KG, GMA News