Gathering of pro-Velasco solons to show ‘big number’ of House members pushing for term-sharing deal — Rep. Garin

The gathering of supporters of Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco on Monday is primarily to show the "big number" of lawmakers pushing for the term-sharing agreement on the speakership.

AAMBIS-OWA party-list Representative Sharon Garin made the remark as she attended the gathering of lawmakers in an events place in Quezon City.

In an interview with CNN-Philippines, Garin said there was so far no plan to unseat Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano in their gathering this morning, despite the manifesto pro-Velasco lawmakers calling to assemble and elect the Marinduque lawmaker as Speaker on Monday.

"So far there is no plan. We just wanted to meet and talk. Right now we are having breakfast. Actually just talking because we haven't seen each other in a long time. It just shows a big number of people or congressmen that are joining the same cause," she said.

Garin said Cayetano has been questioning if Velasco has the numbers to guarantee his election as Speaker, and the gathering this morning is their way to "see the conviction" of the members.

"Today we decided to meet before budget deliberations as instructed by the executive order. Pero before we start, we just wanted to see the conviction of the members," she said.

"Kasi kinu-question as to how many people are for Velasco and for Cayetano. Then we wanted to have a meeting and to show to people where the conviction lies," she added.

Garin said that although there was no plan, the move to declare the speakership vacant will depend on the agreement of the members attending the gathering.

"That's an idea or want that has not been discarded.... We can do that if the majority agrees among those who are present or via Zoom today," she said.

No disruption to budget deliberations

What is important, Garin said, is that they do not disrupt the deliberations on the budget, for which President Rodrigo Duterte called a special session of Congress from October 13 to 16.

"Our first priority is not to delay the budget, that's for sure. Pero if you install Velasco today or after budget, there's not much difference. Basta yung 13 to 16, matapos namin yung budget," she said.

"That's why we met today not tomorrow para hindi na ma-interrupt ang budget tsaka hindi na ma-delay. So ang kailangan lang, finish the budget on the 16th, yun ang main objective," she added. — Erwin Colcol/RSJ, GMA News