Velasco to Cayetano: 'Step down quietly', let House tackle budget

Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco has asked Taguig-Pateros Representative Alan Peter Cayetano to "step down quietly" from the speakership so that the House under his leadership could tackle the 2021 budget on Tuesday.

Velasco made the call after being elected by his supporters as Speaker of the House in a "session" outside the Batasang Pambansa Complex.

In an interview with reporters, Velasco said he is offering a "healing hand" to Cayetano, with whom he agreed to have a term-sharing agreement with.

"We would want to hold out parang a healing hand to former Speaker Cayetano. Let's stop all this. Nagsalita na ang mayorya ng Kongreso," he said.

"We are asking him to step down quietly, peacefully nang sa gayon ay maumpisahan na namin ang pagdinig sa 2021 budget tomorrow," he added.

Cayetano's office has yet to respond to a request for reaction on the statement of Velasco.

A total of 186 lawmakers elected Velasco as Speaker in a gathering at an events place in Quezon City.

The election came a day before the special session of Congress which President Rodrigo Duterte called in order for the House to resume and finish the deliberations on the 2021 national budget.

Velasco said they immediately want to resume the plenary budget deliberations on Tuesday, although he could not say for certain what will happen.

"Before we get into that, the whole group is already planning on extending the healing hand to Speaker Cayetano today so that we can already settle the differences, talk about it so that tomorrow we have a very peaceful session here in the 2021 budget," he said.

"Let's see what will happen tomorrow," he added.

As pro-Velasco lawmakers gathered and elected him as Speaker, Cayetano convened the small committee the House earlier created to accept amendments to the 2021 General Appropriations Act.

“Since 1992, small committees have been formed to accept individual amendments of the House members kasi kung isa-isa ‘yan [sa plenary], hindi matatapos ang budget,” Cayetano said.

“Despite the circus, magtatrabaho tayo, tatapusin natin [ang passage ng 2021] budget,” he added.

The House earlier approved on second reading its version of the 2021 GAB without finishing the scheduled plenary deliberations on the budget.

It had also suspended its sessions until November 16. -NB, GMA News