MANILA – Taking away Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco’s chance to take over the House of Representatives’ speakership on Oct. 14, current Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and his allies have suspended the session until Nov. 16.
In a surprising move on Tuesday afternoon, Cayetano motioned for the approval of the proposed P4.5 billion 2021 national budget on second reading, terminating the deliberations.
“Applying section 55 of our rules, I move to terminate the period of debate on House Bill 7727, or General Appropriations Bill,” Cayetano said in his privilege speech that once again touched on his speakership row with Velasco.
Following the abrupt budget approval, Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu, an ally of Cayetano, moved for the suspension of House session until Nov. 16, which was also affirmed via viva voce voting.
The move of Cayetano and his allies prevented the chance of the House of Representatives speakership change on Oct. 14, the date Cayetano was supposed to give up his post to Velasco as part of their term-sharing deal.
“Kung sumunod lang siya sa usapan na November ang palitan, kung marunong lang siya magbilang na hanggang October talaga po ako, eh ‘di wala na sanang problema,” Cayetano said.
“But unlike Cong. Velasco, who I think his apology is hilaw and insincere, why? Eh nagso-sorry ka, banat ng banat araw-araw ‘yung mga kasama mo tungkol sa budget. Nang-i-intriga kayo tungkol sa budget,” he added.
Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza described Cayetano’s latest action as a “desperate move to hang on” to the House speakership.
“He has just publicly confirmed that he is losing ground, that’s why he did it,” Atienza said. “He didn’t care about Constitutional integrity throwing everything into the air and making Congress go on a long vacation. Ginulo niya lahat and he violated all the rules of the House.”
“Many of us were objecting at the top of our voices but again, we were muted on Zoom and all our objections were thrown out the window,” he added. “This is typical of a poor loser – ‘pag natatalo ka na, guluhin mo na lang ang mesa, sunugin mo na lang ang bahay ika nga.”
Curiously, Cayetano and his allies’ move to suspend the session until next month came a day after Velasco’s meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte, who said that the Marinduque lawmaker has the right to run for speakership.
“Humingi ng permiso si Cong. Lord Allan para tumakbo bilang Speaker at ang sagot ng Presidente: ‘Karapatan mo ‘yan, sang-ayon sa kasunduan ninyo kay Speaker Alan Cayetano’,” spokesperson Harry Roque said Tuesday.
“Ang alam ko si Cong. Allan Velasco ang humingi ng meeting at napagbigyan siya kagabi. Ito po ay matapos nakipagpulong ang Presidente sa ilang miyembro ng Gabinete at matapos ‘yung kanyang ulat sa bayan,” he added.
Under the “gentleman’s agreement” that Duterte brokered last year, Cayetano will lead the House for the first 15 months of the 18th Congress or until October while Velasco would assume leadership for the next 21 months.
Last Wednesday, Cayetano offered to resign, but a majority of lawmakers rejected his move./PN
