Solon to House leaders unsupportive of Cayetano: 'Resign from posts'

Deputy Speaker Dan Fernandez on Sunday urged House leaders who do not support the continued tenure of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano to step down from their posts.

Fernandez made the remark just two days after 1-PACMAN party-list Representative Mikee Romero, who is supportive of Cayetano's rival Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco, was removed as deputy speaker.

"Yung ating mga kasamahan sa Kongreso, with all due respect to them, it's time to resign kung talagang hindi niyo kayang suportahan ang ating Speaker. Ganun talaga ang Kongreso, it's a numbers game," he said.

"Kung hindi niyo mabibigyan ng kaukulang pagtitiwala ang pagkakaluklok ng 184 members na nagsasabi na hindi namin pinapayagan ang resignation ni Speaker Alan Cayetano, it's better for you to let go and fight another day," he added.

On Friday, Deputy Majority Leader XJ Romualdo moved to unseat Romero as deputy speaker in the middle of the plenary deliberations for the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021.

Romero was among those who accompanied Velasco in their meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang.

Romero was replaced by Capiz Representative Fredenil Castro, who earlier delivered a privilege speech supporting Cayetano’s continued tenure as Speaker and urged lawmakers supportive of Velasco's speakership bid to quit their leadership posts.

Fernandez said that those who oppose Cayetano's speakership can always try to unseat him if they have the numbers.

This is even though Cayetano and Velasco earlier agreed to a term-sharing deal brokered no less than by President Rodrigo Duterte.

"We are very thankful sa Presidente, kasi ang Presidente napakatalino at napakagaling dahil alam niya na ine-endorse niya yung dalawa but at the end of the day, you have to work," Fernandez said.

"You have to show your peers that you are capable and at the same time, karapat-dapat ka na maging leader ng Mababang Kapulungan," he added.

Cayetano and his allies earlier accused Velasco of not taking part in the affairs and issues being deliberated at the House.

Velasco, however, has said that although he had not been making comments on the speakership issue, it did not mean that he was already uninterested  or turned his back on the deal.

"'Mum on issues' means I just don’t want to call attention to myself. Being party to the term-sharing agreement, one does not and should not seek to compete with the current Speaker as a gentleman’s agreement is in force. We will have our turn at the right time," he said.

On Friday, after the House rejected Cayetano's offer to resign, Velasco challenged the Speaker 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 months and Velasco would take over to finish the succeeding 21 months. —LBG, GMA News