MANILA, Philippines – Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo says it’s possible President Rodrigo Duterte will not resign after all even if his son, Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte, becomes House Speaker.

Panelo was asked to comment on Paolo’s statement on Tuesday, July 2 that he was considering vying for Speaker because of Taguig-Pateros Representative Alan Peter Cayetano’s “obsessive” insistence on term-sharing.

The President had earlier promised to resign should Paolo so much as run for the speakership.

“Itong si Paolo, sabihin ko sa kanya, if you run for speakership, let me know. Kasi kung tatakbo ka, magre-resign ako (This Paolo, let me tell him, if you run for speakership, let me know. Because if you run, I will resign),” Duterte said in a speech during the oathtaking of government officials in Malacañang on on May 27.

Possible change of plans

On Tuesday, Panelo said Duterte can still change his mind.

“You make a position, you make a stand on the basis of circumstances. When those circumstances change, you change your stand. So puwede magbago. Puwede magbago isip ni Presidente (So it can change. The President can change his mind),” said Panelo.

The spokesman said Duterte could keep his word “unless there are circumstances that will compel him to alter his stand.”

Paolo proposed on Tuesday a term-sharing deal among multiple lawmakers – representatives each from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and the partylist bloc. 

“I will ask the Visayas bloc to elect their speaker for their term share, and so with the Mindanao bloc and the partylist coalition,” said Paolo.

The President’s eldest son expressed confidence that he would be able to unite the lower chamber.

“The House is divided, I might be able to help unite it. Pareho lang kaming binoto ng mga tao ah. Kung term sharing, term sharing na kaming lahat (We were all elected by the people. If it’s term sharing, then let’s all do term sharing),” he said.

He also threw shade at a speaker hopeful who was supposedly trying to influence his father’s Cabinet.

“We are not talking about two persons here. We are talking about our beloved country. It is not about speakership alone, but who is the right person to unite Congress and I hope those running for the speakership stop influencing the Cabinet,” said Paolo.

On Sunday, June 30, Paolo had also slammed an anonymous speaker hopeful who he had accused of using his name to ruin the reputation of another speaker hopeful and his wife.

Aside from Cayetano, the other candidates for Speaker are Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco, the ruling PDP-Laban bet; and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez.

Both Velasco and Romualdez are opposed to a term-sharing scheme. – Rappler.com