"Actually, kahit hindi naman sinabi ni Pangulo yun, we've already come to an agreement ever since na usapang lalaki naman talaga," Velasco told reporters in an ambush interview on Tuesday.
The President said on Saturday that the term-sharing deal between Cayetano and Velasco should push through.
According to Velasco, he was focused on his chairmanship of the House Committee on Energy and was avoiding talk on the speakership as he wanted to give Cayetano "free reign" at the House.
"Ngayon, I'm just waiting for the 15 months to finish, and then I will start my assumption as the next Speaker of the House," he said.
Under the deal agreed on by Duterte and the two lawmakers, Cayetano would relinquish the speakership to the Marinduque lawmaker after 15 months.
“Ngayon, if anyone of them would not honor it, be it Lord Velasco or Peter Cayetano, that would be his decision,” Duterte said.
“He has to take care that there is an agreement of sharing… 'Yan ang usapan. That was an agreement. A solemn agreement between the three of us. If you want to use the vernacular, usapang lalaki 'yun," he added.
Velasco admitted that he could not predict if Duterte would step in if the deal was not honored.
"Maybe, maybe not. Let's wait until we get there," he said.
"At the end of the day, I know naman for a fact na usapang lalaki, it's a gentleman's agreement. Definitely, when the 15 months is already due, I believe Speaker Alan Cayetano will step down and hand the speakership sa inyong lingkod," he added.
Earlier, Cavite Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr. said that it was possible the term-sharing agreement on the speakership would be ignored given Cayetano's trust and approval ratings.
Cayetano, for his part, said it was Duterte who would have the final say on who would lead the House of Representatives, as he was the leader of the coalition of lawmakers and executive officials. — DVM, GMA News
