Duterte strongly rebuffed Cayetano in calling for special session –Atienza

Buhay party-list Representative Lito Atienza believes that President Rodrigo Duterte, in calling for a special session of Congress this week to resume the plenary deliberations on the proposed 2021 national budget,  "strongly rebuffed" Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano. 

Atienza said this after Cayetano allegedly "sabotaged" the term-sharing agreement between him and Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco following the early suspension of House session until November 16.

“Malacañang has repudiated the Speaker, who is clearly drunk with power, and has become a huge embarrassment and liability to the President,” Atienza said in a statement on Sunday.

“Congressman Cayetano has betrayed the President. He has also double-crossed all the House members who elected him as Speaker in July last year based on the term-sharing agreement blessed by the President no less,” he added.

According to Atienza, the suspension of the sessions until November 16 is "highly irregular," and has "imperiled the passage of the budget bill."

He added that Cayetano abruptly called off the sessions supposedly because he does not want to step down as Speaker on October 14.

“Through all sorts of political machinations, Congressman Cayetano has shamelessly reneged on his solemn promise – made before the President – to step down as Speaker after 15 months and give way to Congressman Velasco,” Atienza said.

Under the original term-sharing agreement, Cayetano is expected to hold the speakership for 15 months and Velasco will take over to finish the remaining 21 months.

Following the call for a special session of the President, House appropriations committee chair Eric Yap said he will meet with Cayetano on Monday to discuss how to go about with the 2021 budget bill.

Both Cayetano and Velasco have welcomed the call of the President for a special session. —LBG, GMA News