Duterte not meddling in House speakership row, Palace insists

Malacañang on Sunday maintained that President Rodrigo Duterte is not meddling in the speakership issue at the House of Representatives even as he has called on House members to halt politicking amid the speakership row to pass the 2021 national budget, his spokesman Harry Roque said Sunday.

“Hindi po nanghihimasok, hindi po nakikialam ang presidente sa nangyayaring girian para sa puwesto ng speaker,” Roque said on state-run PTV.

“Ang panawagan po niya sa ating mga kongresista, isantabi muna po ang pulitika para maipasa po natin ang proposed 2021 budget,” he said.

He added that Duterte expects the House of Representatives to hold a special session from October 13 to 16 to resume deliberations on the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021. 

“Itigil muna po ang pulitika diyan sa mababang kapulungan para maipasa ang proposed budget ng 2021 na binuo po ng administrasyon para labanan ang COVID-19,” he quoted Duterte as saying.

Last month, Duterte met with House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco to discuss the leadership of the lower chamber. 

Last Thursday, the President also warned Cayetano and Velasco to resolve the leadership row and act on the budget, or that he would do it for them.

"Either you resolve the issue sa impasse ninyo diyan and pass the budget legally and constitutionally. 'Pag hindi ninyo ginawa, ako ang gagawa para sa inyo," Duterte said.

Under a “gentleman’s agreement” brokered by Duterte in 2019, Cayetano would be speaker for 15 months while Velasco would take over for the next 21 months.

The House abruptly suspended its session last week until November 16, effectively preventing the expected turnover of the speakership to Velasco on October 14. 

Despite this, Cayetano has repeatedly told Duterte and the public that the 2021 budget will be passed on time. — with Erwin Colcol/BM, GMA News