Leaders of political parties and major blocs in the House told Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco to throw in the towel and let Alan Peter Cayetano stay as Speaker. 

During the plenary session on Wednesday, September 23, ranking lawmakers representing different alliances manifested their desire for Cayetano to remain as leader of the lower chamber. 

This came just an hour after Cayetano met with majority-allied lawmakers to settle their issues over the inequitable distribution of infrastructure funds under the proposed P4.5-trillion budget in 2021.

Among those that manifested their support were the 62-strong National Unity Party (NUP), 7 out of the 8 Cavite lawmakers, the Northern Luzon Alliance, legislators from Calabarzon or Southern Tagalog, and lawmakers from Northern and Southern Mindanao. 

This display of support is likened to Cayetano flexing his numbers in the House after no less than President Rodrigo Duterte said he would not be able do anything if Velasco does not secure enough support among lawmakers.

Cavite 4th District Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr – president of the powerhouse NUP – said Cayetano was able to deliver on the passage of Duterte’s pet bills as well as measures benefiting districts. 

“At higit sa lahat, nakita natin at naramdaman ang pakikisama n’ya sa ating mga kasamahan dito sa Kongreso. Kaya sa nalalabing  dalawampu’t isang buwan, katulad ng kami’y magsimula, muli na naman naming susuportahan ang liderato ni Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano,” the veteran congressman said. 

(And most of all, we have seen and felt his fellowship with our colleagues here in Congress. That’s why in the remaining 21 months, like what we did in the beginning, we are once again supporting the leadership of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.)

NUP has been amassing power in the House, plucking many defectors who jumped ship from the ruling PDP-Laban, Velasco’s party.

NUP now has 49 district members at the House and 13 allied party-list groups, including the president’s son and Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte – the catalyst of the ongoing power shakeup in the lower chamber.

Barzaga is also among the 7 Cavite lawmakers who signed a manifesto which essentially pushed to scrap the term-sharing deal. The others include:

• House committee on public accounts chair Abraham Tolentino, Cavite 8th District;
• Senior Deputy Majority Leader Jesus Crispin Remulla, Cavite 7th District;
• Strike Revilla, Cavite 2nd District;
• Alex Advincula, Cavite 3rd District;
• Luis Ferrer IV, Cavite 6th District; and
• Francis Gerald Abaya, Cavite 1st District.

“We reiterate our trust, confidence, and support of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, to complete his full term as Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 18th Congress,” the Cavite lawmakers said. 

Velasco’s own party mate in PDP-Laban, ousted speaker and Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez, already advised him to give way to Cayetano. 

The President had to intervene to end the heated speakership race last year. He green-lighted the term-sharing deal between his allies Cayetano and Velasco.

Under the agreement, Cayetano was to serve as Speaker for 15 months – or until October this year – then Velasco would take over in the 21 months after that. 

But the gentleman’s agreement is now in peril after Paolo Duterte threatened to ask the Mindanao bloc to unseat Cayetano following grumblings over 2021 budget.

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

Political analysts said keeping the speakership was crucial for Cayetano if he had any plans to run in the 2022 presidential elections. (READ: In House power play, Speaker Cayetano’s Palace dreams are at stake)

Aftermath of Cayetano’s meeting with majority bloc

On Wednesday, the Speaker said the majority bloc agreed to translate their support for him “into coming with the best budget ever” that addresses the needs of their constituents. 

He also told disgruntled lawmakers that there was no need to resort to “blackmailing” in budget negotiations. They just have to directly speak to Cayetano and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez.

“Martin and I agreed that all representatives with concerns, even if it’s about just one constituent, can talk to us,” Cayetano said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“But there will be no blackmailing, there will be no hostage-taking, there will be no moves that will force us to agree to pork, parking, or corruption,” added the Taguig City-Pateros 1st District representative.

Pandemic not the time to change Speaker?

Other blocs argued in their manifestations during the session that the House is in no business of changing its leadership when the country is still grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.

Deputy Speaker Henry Oaminal of Misamis Occidental 2nd District said district lawmakers in Northern and Southern Mindanao believe it’s “unwise” to change the Speaker in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. 

“We find it unwise to rock the boat of the country’s legislative institution while our nation wallows in this global health pandemic, to which undivided attention and united efforts of the country’s leaders are paramount,” Oaminal said. 

Deputy Speaker Deogracias Victor Savellano, Ilocos Sur 1st District congressman and member of the Northern Luzon Alliance, said the House has “accomplished much” under Cayetano.

“During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we all know that the Congress, through the leadership of the Speaker, delivered and approved the budget of all agencies to address the pandemic through the passage of Bayanihan 1 and 2,” said Savellano. 

Southern Tagalog development committee chair Elenita Ermita Buhain also threw her support behind Cayetano, who is from the Nacionalista Party like her. 

“I join my colleagues in Southern Tagalog in expressing our full support to the leadership of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano. We are united in the belief that the Speaker has accomplished so much in leading the House of Representatives,” said the Batangas 1st District congresswoman. 

Legislators from other parties also said they wanted Cayetano to stay as Speaker, but were not necessarily speaking on behalf of their allies. 

They include Anakalusugan Representative Mike Defensor from the party-list bloc, Bulacan 1st District Representative Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado of NUP, and Caloocan City 2nd District Representative Edgar Erice of the once-ruling Liberal Party. 

Capiz 2nd District Representative Fredenil Castro had earlier manifested during the session on Tuesday, September 22, that the COVID-19 crisis is not the best time to replace the top House leader. 

The Lakas-CMD party member also slammed Velasco for not defending the House when it drew flak for controversial measures like the non-renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise and the passage of the anti-terror law. 

“Instead of being the leader he said he was, Congressman Velasco showed his true self. He did not work, he did not contribute, he did not defend this House. He did not lead, so why would he expect us to follow him?” asked Castro. 

Velasco then said he had been silent so as not to be seen as “competing” with Cayetano. The Marinduque congressman said he would still become Speaker “at the right time.” – Rappler.com