Former House speaker Pantaleon Alvarez advised his party mate, Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco, to just drop his term-sharing deal with incumbent Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and let the latter rule until 2022.

Sought to comment on the ongoing power struggle in the House in ANC’s Headstart, Alvarez said he had long been against term-sharing deals because it would only divide the lower chamber. 

“Para sa akin, kung naumpisahan na ni Congressman Alan Peter Cayetano ‘yan, ipatapos mo na sa kanya ‘yan,” Alvarez said in an interview with the program’s host Karen Davila on Wednesday, September 23. (For me, if Congressman Alan Peter Cayetano already started as the Speaker, just let him finish the entire term.)

“‘Di ko sinsabi na bilib ako sa kanya, ‘no? Kasi si Congressman Velasco kapartido ko rin sa PDP-Laban. Kaya lang ito sa akin, Karen, para sa bayan na lang, magkaisa tayo,” added the Davao del Norte 1st District representative. (I’m not saying I’m impressed with Cayetano, okay? Because Congressman Velasco is party mate. But for me, Karen, let’s just work together for the sake of the country.)

Alvarez is the secretary-general of the ruling PDP-Laban, whose House bloc is led by Velasco. No less than President Rodrigo Duterte is the chairman of PDP-Laban. 

Last year’s speakership race divided the House until Duterte green-lighted the term-sharing agreement between his allies Cayetano and Velasco.

Under the deal, Cayetano serves as Speaker for 15 months – or until October of this year – then Velasco takes over in the 21 months after that. 

But the gentleman’s agreement is now in peril after Duterte’s son, Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte, threatened to ask the Mindanao bloc to unseat Cayetano following lawmakers’ complaints of unfair district allocations under the proposed P4.5-trillion budget in 2021.

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Cayetano, however, seemed to have made amends with the president’s son and instead accused Velasco of staging yet another coup against him.

Velasco did not directly address the allegations in his Facebook post on Tuesday, September 22. He just said that he remained silent the past months so he would not be seen as “competing” with Cayetano.

Velasco said he would become Speaker “at the right time.”

“My silence does not mean I am disinterested nor I have turned my back on the covenant. ‘Mum on issues’ means I just don’t want to call attention to myself,” Velasco said. 

“Being party to the term-sharing agreement,  one does not and should not seek to compete with the current Speaker as a gentleman’s agreement is in force.  We will have our turn at the right time,” he added. 

This is the second time Cayetano claimed Velasco is plotting to unseat him. The Speaker first made the accusation in March, but the Marinduque congressman vehemently denied it. 

Insiders told Rappler it was allegedly Cayetano’s ploy to botch their term-sharing deal.

Cayetano said he would step down as Speaker if the President or a majority of lawmakers say so.

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Duterte, however, already said he would not intervene in the ongoing House power struggle.

‘Divisive’ term-sharing’

Alvarez said the trouble with term-sharing agreements was that it opened the floodgates to power shakedowns in the lower chamber.

“Kasi nga, remember I said, this is not about the speakership! This is about the country. Kung si Alan Peter na o kung si Congressman Velasco na ‘yan, eh patusin mo na ‘yan! Anong term-sharing, term-sharing? Divisive ‘yan eh! Tignan mo, anong nangyayari ngayon sa House?” said Alvarez. 

(Remember, I said before that this is not about the speakership! This is about the country. Whether it’s Alan Peter or Congressman Velasco, let the guy finish the entire term! What term-sharing are you talking about? That’s divisive! Look, what’s happening in the House right now?) 

Alvarez himself is no stranger to power plays in the lower chamber. He was ousted in 2018 and replaced by former president turned Pampanga 2nd District congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. 

The President’s feisty daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte had been instrumental in kicking out Alvarez.

On Wednesday, Alvarez described the President’s response to the coronavirus pandemic as a “failure” since cases are still steadily rising.

Still, the Duterte ally said he was speaking up not out of bitterness, but because it was his duty to do so as a Filipino. – Rappler.com