DU30 fixes House

by Michelle R. Guillang 

President Rodrigo Duterte was expected to resolve the hanging speakership issue last night when he called Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco to a meeting in Malacañang on Monday night. 

The presumptive Speaker Velasco complied with the requirements set for the President’s health and security by submitting to a swab test for COVID-19 on Sunday last weekend. This was in anticipation of a close one-on-one meeting with the President. 

The Chief Executive was expected to reveal his final decision on the 15-21 term-sharing deal between Velasco and current Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.

 Mr. Duterte was clear from the start that he wants the 2019 pact honored by both Cayetano and Velasco.

 Cayetano, however, reneged on the deal. He accused Velasco of plotting his ouster — four times, he said — which the youthful Marinduque lawmaker simply laughed off. 

“Why should I plot a coup when there is an agreement?” Velasco said. “It’s a cheap shot!” 

Velasco came into his meeting with the President armed with the numbers that can assure him of a vote for the Speakership 

Cayetano is holding on to his post after he had mustered more than 200 signatures in a manifesto of support. That was after his release of funds to the political and block leaders the other weekend.

 He tried to present the manifesto to President Duterte Tuesday last week, 30 September 2020, but the attempt was shunned by the Chief Executive, who reiterated that the pact should be honored. It was agreed that Cayetano should step down on 14 October next week. 

The President even instructed Cayetano to present the result of that meeting before the other members of the House. Cayetano, however, used last Wednesday’s session to launch his attacks against Velasco, calling him inept, inexperienced and not ready to steer the House during these times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also belittled Velasco’s capability to lead the House during the 2021 budget deliberations.

 

Cayetano also resigned but it was an act seen by many as a vote of confidence by his peers which is not in accordance with the rules of the House of Representatives. Other Congressmen saw this as an open defiance of the President’s wishes, making Mr. Duterte a “lame duck” leader since then. 

On that same Wednesday, Cayetano towed his family to Malacañang to appeal before the President to discard the 15-21 deal. 

The Chief Executive’s meeting with Velasco last night, however, would have put order to the chaos at the House. 

A lawmaker said: “It’s over!” referring to the speakership duel between Cayetano and Velasco. 

Asked about the President’s choice to become the Speaker until 2022, the Daily Tribune source said: “It has been clear since Day One, when the President brokered the 15-21 deal. Fifteen months for Cayetano, 21 months for Velasco. It’s Velasco’s turn now.” 

But Cayetano is not budging. 

In a Facebook Live video on Monday, Cayetano hit Velasco’s camp once again and accused it of conducting a “campaign of lies.” 

Cayetano, meanwhile, accused Rep. Negros Oriental Rep. Arnie Teves and former Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero, representative of 1-Pacman Partylist, of using their congressional leaderships for “illegal businesses.” 

“At the right time I will give them the opportunity to face the accusations because this is true,” Cayetano said, referring to Teves and Romero. 

“No matter how strong you say you are. Even if you say you will be backed up by (former Negros Occidental Rep.) Albee Benitez and the Visayan bloc. What is forbidden is forbidden,” he stressed. “I can show you, not only evidence later on, but also how they try to use the Congress for their illegal activities.” 

Last Friday, Romero, the president of Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. (PCFI), was removed and replaced by Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro as Deputy Speaker — a motion the party-list coalition strongly denounced. The presiding officer, Raneo Abu, immediately accepted the motion, hearing no objection.

 

The group questioned Romero’s ouster when no election was held before a scant attendance at the plenary. The PCFI said: “What kind of procedure was that?” 

Due to restrictions in attending sessions physically, the PCFI said this prevented them from taking actions against “the flurry of tactical maneuvers.” 

“Given recent developments, our constituencies’ voices are under siege and being marginalized yet again with tactical maneuvers on the floor which we are unable to balance with our participation because we, the members of the Party-list Coalition are reduced to being virtual remote spectators while those physically present on the floor have their way,” the PCFI stated. 

“The delicate balance, carefully negotiated at the start of the 18th Congress, now teeters on the precipice of instability because that Deputy Speakership was transferred to a District Representative and there are now threats involving committee leadership posts,” it added. 

Another lawmaker challenged the entry restrictions at the House, saying that recent developments here raises an issue of “proportional, fair representation of the partylists in the key House posts.”

“Public places are now allowed higher capacity for more people in their premises. So too must the House of Representatives have more of its Members at the plenary to allow this Representation and other Members of the House to be personally present for the budget decisions and other crucial agenda items,” ACT-CIS partylist Representative Jocelyn Tulfo said. 

Although Cayetano is expected to resign on 14 October, he said this day is devoted for the third and final reading of House Bill 7727 or the P4.506-trillion General Appropriations Bill, while its second reading will be on 9 October. 

“We will have time in between that to talk about the national issues at the House of Representatives. But please don’t burn down the House,” Cayetano said.

 “The problem is — there are congressmen who are power-thirsty that they are willing to sabotage the budget process. They are willing despite the President’s request, they are still willing to create troubles.”