President Rodrigo Duterte asks lawmakers to abide by the term-sharing agreement he brokered
President
Rodrigo Duterte asked Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano to give way to Marinduque
Representative Lord Allan Velasco as new Speaker in a meeting he held with
lawmakers on Tuesday, September 29.
"It
was the agreement and it was enforced during the time they were discussing
among the 3 of them. The question was only as to when, but both parties agreed
before the President on October 14," said Oriental Mindoro 1st District
Representative Salvador "Doy" Leachon in an ANC interview.
Duterte
faced the contingent from the House at the Malacañang Golf Clubhouse, after
which he held a separate meeting with Cayetano, Velasco and his longtime aide
and now senator Bong Go.
"It
was stated very clearly. Well, the position of course of the President, even
during the time it was being impressed upon us, the nature of the conversation,
is to enforce definitely," Leachon, Velasco's PDP-Laban party mate, also
said.
Deputy
Speaker LRay Villafuerte, an ally of Cayetano's, said the October 14 date for
Velasco's turn at the Speakership was "not clear." But he said the
lawmakers did agree with Duterte's wish to abide by the term-sharing deal.
"The
President expressed his desire to honor the term-sharing. We all agreed.
Speaker Alan clearly said, 'Sir, we will follow you. If you want me to resign,
I will resign any day,'" said Villafuerte on ANC.
This article first appeared on Rappler. Full story on Rappler.
