MANILA – Representatives Lord Allan Velasco and Alan Peter Cayetano appeared to have buried the hatchet following their meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday.
Palace spokesperson Harry Roque said both Velasco and Cayetano agreed to work for the speedy passage of the proposed P4.5 trillion national budget for 2021, which is now on its second reading.
“In the course of the meeting, the two representatives agreed to work together as one majority in order to ensure the timely passage of the 2021 budget and other priority legislation of the Duterte administration,” Roque said in a statement.
Sen. Bong Go, for his part, said President Duterte did not get mad at the congressmen during the meeting.
“All is well. Parang tatay si Tatay Digong. Kinausap (niya) mga anak nya,” Go said in a separate statement. “Pinagpayuhan na magkaisa. One majority and pass the budget on time para sa sambayanang Pilipino.”
The House Speakership row between Cayetano and Velasco escalated with the former refusing to give up his spot, as part of the 15-21 term-sharing agreement brokered by Duterte last year.
Earlier on Tuesday, Velasco formalized his ascension as new speaker of the House following 208 votes from congressmen.
Velasco then urged his fellow lawmakers to go back to order of business and focus on the proposed 2021 national budget.
“The present leadership has been accused of putting political expediency above public service,” Velasco said in his speech. “The people do not deserve to wait even more simply because someone political plans are now in peril.”
“Our President is voicing out the widespread sentiment that the interest of our people, especially at this time of the COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis it has spawned is being sacrificed for personal greed and political ambition,” he added.
Meanwhile, Cayetano apologized to President Duterte for misunderstanding him with regards to the term-sharing deal with Velasco.
“Ang pagkakaalam ko talaga, I was to handle the budget and I was told until matapos ‘yung budget para walang disruption and I invited Congressman Velasco to join me,” Cayetano said in Facebook live video.
“Mr. President, if I made a mistake, mali ang reading ko, misunderstood ko na gusto mong ituloy at tapusin ko ang budget, ako’y humihingi ng paumanhin. Hindi ko intention – never – na hindi ka sundin,” he added./PN
