A key ally of Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco was stripped of his post at the House of Representatives on Friday and a supporter of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano was named as his replacement as the leadership crisis continued to rage in the chamber.
1-Pacman Rep. Michael Romero, a port tycoon and leader of the party list bloc in the House, was removed as one of the 22 deputy speakers and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro was appointed to replace him. These happened only hours after Castro delivered a privilege speech calling on Velasco and his allies to quit their positions in the 300-member House if they could not cooperate with the Speaker.
鈥楴o shame鈥�
鈥淭hey should resign from their leadership positions,鈥� Castro said of Velasco鈥檚 camp, adding: 鈥淭here鈥檚 no shame in admitting defeat at the hands of a better foe.鈥�
Velasco chairs the House committee on energy; some of his allies are deputy speakers or committee chairs.
Romero was among those who went with Velasco to Malaca帽ang on Tuesday. He did not immediately reply to the Inquirer鈥檚 request for comment. But PBA party list Rep. Jericho Nograles said Romero鈥檚 removal as deputy speaker was 鈥渁n affront鈥� to the coalition of party list organizations.
鈥榃ho is more honorable?鈥�
In his speech, Castro said the House鈥檚 rejection of Cayetano鈥檚 offer of resignation in a 184-1 vote on Wednesday showed that the latter had already honored his term-sharing deal with Velasco.
鈥淲ho is more honorable鈥攖he man who stood with us and led us through one of the most troubled and difficult times in our nation鈥檚 history or someone who鈥檚 nowhere to be seen when we were all working and struggling to help the country recover?鈥� Castro said.
The agreement between the two men involves Cayetano serving as Speaker for the first 15 months of the 18th Congress and Velasco taking over in the last 21 months.
On Tuesday, Cayetano and Velasco met with President Duterte and other party leaders in Malaca帽ang, where they supposedly agreed to pass the budget by Oct. 14 and have the turnover on that date.
But Cayetano said that while he told the President he would follow his instructions by offering to resign, he couldn鈥檛 promise that Velasco would win the Speaker鈥檚 seat in an election.
Wooing allies
Expect more turmoil in the House with Velasco wooing major political blocs to join his fold.
鈥淗e is meeting with congressmen and political parties and blocs to introduce himself, how he will be as the next Speaker,鈥� Velasco ally Aambis-Owa Rep. Sharon Garin said in an interview with ANC.
Garin, chair of the House economic affairs panel, said the Velasco group would 鈥減ursue the 15-21 agreement and then declare the position vacant, and then we will see how each and every congressman will decide.鈥� She was with Velasco during the meeting with the President on Tuesday.
鈥淸Duterte鈥檚] instructions were clear: You change the speakership following the gentleman鈥檚 agreement of 15-21. And the President hasn鈥檛 retracted,鈥� Garin said. 鈥淲e support the Speaker subject to the 15-21, which will be turned over on Oct. 14.鈥�
Budget blues
She added that she remembered 鈥渟pecifically two things he wanted: 鈥楶ass the budget on time鈥� and 鈥楩ollow the 15-21.鈥�
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the timely passage of the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget would 鈥渄epend鈥� on the House members.
鈥淎s long as they transmit it to us by the first week of October, we will do our job,鈥� Sotto told the Inquirer in a Viber message. 鈥淚 refuse to be blamed if they do not submit it on time.鈥�
Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said budget officials were 鈥渉opeful that despite the current situation at the House, the proposed 2021 national budget will still be passed according to their timetable.鈥�
Asked by the Inquirer if he had warned legislators of the potentially negative consequences of a delayed approval of the budget, Avisado said: 鈥淭hey know all that, and they are as much concerned as all of us.鈥�
Can鈥檛 force them
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said he believed that 鈥渢he entire Congress is aware that the enactment of the budget in a timely manner is essential to the recovery of the economy from the ravages of the [COVID-19] contagion.鈥�
In Malaca帽ang, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that even if the President had brokered a term-sharing deal for Cayetano and Velasco, he could not force other lawmakers to elect either man as Speaker.
鈥淭he agreement was between Speaker Alan and Congressman Lord. Yes, it was brokered by the President. The President, I think, has done his responsibility to remind both candidates for the position to honor their words. But in the end, even two weeks ago, the President said, 鈥業f Cong. Lord Allan does not have the numbers, I cannot do anything about it,鈥欌�� Roque, Duterte鈥檚 spokesperson, said in an interview with CNN Philippines on Friday.
鈥楶ray over鈥�
鈥淚n effect, the President cannot coerce, intimidate, force the House members into voting one way or another. He can only remind the two leaders of what was agreed upon. But in the end he recognizes that it鈥檚 not the President鈥檚 call who to elect for Speaker,鈥� Roque added.
He also said Cayetano and members of his family met the President in Malaca帽ang along with House Deputy Speaker Eddie Villanueva, who was there to 鈥減ray over鈥� Duterte.
Roque said the meeting was scheduled two weeks ago and that Cayetano鈥檚 presence was also arranged because the Speaker and Villanueva belonged to the same faith. 鈥擶ith reports from Julie M. Aurelio, Ben O. de Vera and Marlon Ramos