MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte told Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco that they were both duped by House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s theatrics to stay in power.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel’s Headstart, Velasco said President Duterte did not hide his indignation to Cayetano during their private meeting at Malacañang last Monday.
“Kitang kita ko ‘yung galit ng Pangulo. Sabi sa akin ni Pangulo, ‘Lord, hindi lang ikaw ang napahiya dito, tayong dalawa.’ Actually, the President used the word ‘Lord, nadenggoy tayong dalawa,” Velasco shared.
This came after Cayetano took the plenary floor Wednesday last week where he offered to step down, but his colleagues rejected this move in a nominal vote.
According to Velasco, during a meeting with President Duterte a day after Cayetano’s theatrics, the President asked the Taguig-Pateros representative to resign on Oct. 14 and they shook on it.
“Sabi niya kay Speaker Cayetano, ‘Alan, okay na. Oct. 14, you will resign. You will announce that on Oct. 14 you are resigning because you abide by the gentleman’s agreement.’ After that, nag-shake sila ng hands,” Velasco said.
Under the term-sharing agreement brokered by Duterte last year, Cayetano was supposed to lead the House in the first 15 months of the 18th Congress and then Velasco in the last 21 months.
However, on Tuesday, the chamber passed the General Appropriations Bill on second reading after a motion by Cayetano. Sessions were subsequently suspended until Nov. 16 preventing the supposed change of speakership on Oct. 14.
Velasco said Cayetano’s camp moved to suspend session “because he does not have the numbers” to keep himself in the post. He added that he gained more support as days go by.
“We have to show the public na ‘pag may salita tayo, tinutupad natin ito. We are called ‘Honorables’ because we keep our honor. Kailangan, ‘pag nagbibitiw tayo ng salita, tinutupad natin,” Velasco said.
“We have majority of the congressmen supporting us. At alam mo naman sa Kongreso, the majority always rules. We are in a democracy,” he added. “Let’s see what the will of the majority will say. I always follow the will of the majority. Let’s wait.”/PN
