Cayetano, Velasco to meet with PRRD amid speakership row

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte at the Matina Enclaves in Davao City on August 17, 2020. SIMEON CELI JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA – Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco are set to meet with President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday amid the speakership row hounding the House of Representatives, PDP-Laban executive director Ron Munsayac confirmed on Monday.

Leaders of various political parties will join the meeting to settle the issues surrounding the 15-21 term-sharing deal between Cayetano and Velasco, which was brokered by Duterte at the start of the 18th Congress in July last year.

This comes after more than 200 lawmakers, including House leaders, signed a manifesto of support for Cayetano’s continued leadership.

‘Unequivocal support’

“In these trying times, as the nation is being wracked by unprecedented public health and economic crisis brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, we reiterate our continued full and unequivocal support for Speaker Cayetano and the entire leadership of the House, and join the President in his desire to allow the membership to chart its own course in choosing those who would lead this chamber,” the manifesto reads.

The lawmakers have also committed to ensuring the immediate passage of the proposed 2021 General Appropriations Act amid the “political noise”.

“This commitment to pass a pro-people budget for 2021 follows the vision of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, whose guidance of the House of the past 13 months has been invaluable in the passage of numerous landmark bills including the 2020 General Appropriations Act, which was passed in record time and without any pork, parked funds, or corruption,” they said in the manifesto.

Term-sharing must be upheld

Velasco, however, stressed that the term-sharing deal must be upheld, saying that it is based on “mutual trust and confidence”.

“The covenant was crystal clear: a 15-21 term-sharing agreement. The first term expires on Sept. 30, after which the second term immediately begins. That was the pledge made before the President,” Velasco said in a Facebook post.

“As true leaders and as examples for our people, both sides are obligated to avoid situations or statements that would subvert the agreement and betray the trust of our people who’ve stood witness to the covenant,” he added.

Velasco noted that trust and honor are important values especially in the midst of a health crisis.

“It is in this period of difficulty that our people yearn for honorable leaders whom they can trust — leaders who are able to live up to their promises come hell or high water, leaders with palabra de honor who lead not with lip service, but who back up their words with action,” Velasco said.

“I have always intended to honor the agreement. We all should. Our people deserve nothing less.”

No talks about House leadership revamp

Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte, for his part, said there are no talks yet about a revamp or change in leadership at the House, as it is more focused on the passage of the proposed 2021 national budget on or before Oct. 15.

Villafuerte said any future changes, if any, will be based on consultation and consensus with the House leadership “with the primordial objective of improving the performance of the House especially in delivering and passing legislative measures”.

Villafuerte argued that Velasco lost the speakership because of his “failure to prove to his peers” his capability to lead the House.

He pointed out that aside from the lack of experience and skills, Velasco was “always missing in action” whenever the chamber tackled urgent measures and major issues, such as the anti-terror law, the ABS-CBN franchise, and the two installments of the Bayanihan law.

“He did not perform as a congressman, he did not perform as chairman of the [House] energy committee which convinced the supermajority his inability to lead the chamber. In most of the major issues surrounding the House, where was Cong. Velasco?” Villafuerte said.

“A speaker should have a strong voice, a speaker should have a principled stand on major issues which clearly Cong. Velasco does not have,” he added.

Villafuerte said Velasco should not have assumed the support of the majority despite the existing term-sharing deal.

“He still had to earn it, which unfortunately he did not. He lost by default because of his own fault and actions,” Villafuerte said.

Under the term-sharing deal brokered by Duterte, Cayetano would serve as the House Speaker for the first 15 months, or until October 2020 while Velasco would take over and assume the position for the remaining 21 months or until the 18th Congress ends in 2022.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte would leave it to members of the House of Representatives to decide on whether to keep Cayetano or replace him with Velasco.