HIGHLIGHTS: House Speakership fight between Cayetano and Velasco

Velasco ally Representative Rimpy Bondoc said more signatures have come in for Lord Allan Velasco since yesterday’s meeting at Celebrity Sports Plaza during which 186 lawmakers were said to have voted and signed to install him as House Speaker.

Bondoc, 4th district representative of Pampanga, told ANC’s Headstart that Pampanga 2nd District Representative Mikey Arroyo and Negros Occidental 5th District Representative Marilou Arroyo have given their signatures in support of Velasco as House Speaker.

Asked by Headstart anchor Karen Davila why they wouldn’t name those 186 lawmakers just yet, Bondoc said it would be more prudent to disclose the names when all votes for Velasco have come in. The names will definitely be available when the House suspends session, Bondoc added.

In an interview with CNN Philippines’ “The Source,” Lord Allan Velasco says he fears the Cayetano camp will padlock the halls of Congress today. Velasco said an option is for his camp to hold session elsewhere.

“The will of the majority always decides,” Velasco said.

Lord Allan Velasco said while he and his allies are once again gathered at Celebrity Sports Plaza on Tuesday morning, they no longer plan holding a session there. 

“No plans of conducting any session in Celebrity here,” Velasco told CNN Philippines’ The Source around 9 am on Tuesday.

Asked if they plan on moving to the Batasang Pambansa to hold session there instead, Velasco merely said, “That may be a possibility.”

In one scenario, Alan Peter Cayetano’s supporters can hold session at the House of Representatives while Lord Allan Velasco’s allies conduct their own proceedings at Celebrity Sports Plaza.

Read our story on Rappler to know what to expect today.

Meanwhile, our legislative reporters Mara Cepeda, who is covering Velasco’s allies at Celebrity Sports Plaza, and JC Gotinga, who is watching the Cayetano camp, are on high alert. Follow our coverage!

Legal questions hounded Representative Lord Allan Velasco after 186 allies elected him speaker of the House of Representatives on Monday, October 12, as political drama took a momentous turn while a pandemic budget was held hostage.

Read the full story by Rappler’s House reporter Mara Cepeda.

Allies of Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco hold their own remote session minutes away from Batasang Pambansa to unseat Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano. But the Taguig congressman says the rump session is unconstitutional. Mara Cepeda reports.

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