MANILA, Philippines鈥擯resident Rodrigo Duterte has warned House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco against turning their backs on the Speakership term-sharing deal he had brokered amid speculations that it could be ignored.
鈥淚f anyone of them would not honor it, be it Lord Velasco or si Peter Cayetano that is 鈥� that would be his decision,鈥� Duterte said in an interview in Davao City Saturday.
鈥淏ut he has to take care that there is an agreement of sharing. If you violate it鈥� Usapan 鈥榶an (That鈥檚 what we鈥檝e agreed.),鈥� he added
The President brokered the term-sharing deal with Cayetano sitting first for 15 months as Speaker before Velasco鈥檚 21-month stint.
But Cayetano鈥檚 allies in the Nacionalista Party and the National Unity Party earlier floated the idea of doing away with the term-sharing deal because of the Speaker鈥檚 high trust and approval ratings.
鈥淲e should answer that question when we cross the bridge,鈥� he said.