(Photo: Alan Peter Cayetano/Facebook)
MANILA—If elected as vice president in the May 9 elections, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has said he will not ask for any Cabinet post and instead will be contented to act as the agenda setter of his president.
He made this statement during the vice presidential debate which was held at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila on Sunday afternoon.
Aside from Cayetano, other presidential aspirants present in the debate were Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Gregorio Honasan II, Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Antonio Trillanes IV, and Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo.
By acting as agenda setter, Cayetano said he will see to it that all the platforms of his president, which in his case is PDP-Laban standard-bearer Rodrigo Duterte, are being followed and implemented.
He expressed confidence that he will be able to do this as exemplified by playing a key role in several corruption scandals investigated by the Senate.
Cayetano said that he will push for federalism as this is the only answer to the Mindanao problems.
“Sabi nga ni Mayor Duterte, na aking pinaniniwalaan, nothing short of federalism can solve the problems in Mindanao,” he stressed.
“Ang pederalismo lamang ang kayang magbuklod sa lahat ng sektor. Ang hindi lang pumapayag dito ay ang mga nakikinabang sa sistema ngayon,” the senator added.
Back in January, presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe and Escudero rejected Duterte’s and Cayetano’s call for federalism.
They said that it would not work well in the Philippine setup, a statement which Cayetano dubbed as a “classic Manila-centric” attitude.
“The very essence of federalism is to ensure that growth and prosperity are spread to every part of the Philippines, not just in Manila. It’s a pity that Senators Poe and Escudero are against this. Kawawa naman ang ibang parte ng bansa kung sila ang mamumuno,” Cayetano earlier said.