President Rodrigo Duterte meets with Congressman Alan Peter Cayetano and newly-installed House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco to discuss the issues that propelled the House of Representatives into the limelight weeks ago. Also present in the meeting held at the Malaca帽ang Golf (MALAGO), Malaca帽ang Park, Manila on October 13, 2020 are Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Senator Christopher 鈥淏ong鈥� Go. (FILE) SIMEON CELI / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano once again said that Speaker Lord Allan Velasco promised in front of the President that there would be no leadership changes once he takes over at the helm of the House of Representatives.
Cayetano, who was ousted and replaced by Velasco as House Speaker, said this Thursday, one day after several of his allies were stripped of their key leadership posts in the lower chamber.
鈥淲ell, ako po ay witness na buhay na sa harap ng Pangulo ay nangako po si Congressman Velasco na walang tanggalan, having said that, ako鈥檡 nag-o-observe, ako po ay supportive, supportive po ako sa ating Pangulo, supportive po ako sa bagong liderato sa Congress,鈥� Cayetano told reporters.
(I鈥檓 a living witness that Congressman Velasco promised in front of the President no one will be removed, having said that, I am supportive, I am supportive of our President, I am supportive of the new House leadership.)
Cayetano reminded Velasco鈥檚 camp that they should also follow their deal.
鈥淕anyan po talaga kasi, sa politika po, pero kung napaalala nila po sa amin before na pag may usapan dapat matupad, siguro, yun na lang ang message ko, na kung ano man ang usapan, dapat matupad,鈥� Cayetano said.
(That happens in politics, but if they聽 have reminded us that before that if there is an agreement that should be followed, that is my message, that whatever the agreement, it should be followed.)
Nonetheless, Cayetano said he remains supportive of the new leadership in the House despite the recent changes.
鈥淎lam nyo po, 80-90% sa Kongreso, supportive po sa administrasyon, it doesn鈥檛 matter kung malapit sila kay Alan Cayetano o kay Allan Velasco, ang importante po, isang team lang kami sa administrasyon,鈥� Cayetano said.
(About 80-90 percent of Congress support the administration, it doesn鈥檛 matter if they are close to Alan Cayetano or Allan Velasco, what鈥檚 important is we are one team in the administration.)
鈥淪o sana po, huli na sana yun at maayos na kasi hindi ko talaga masabi yung mangyayari dahil hindi ko naman kontrolado ang kalooban ng lahat ng kongresista,鈥� he added.
(So I hope that will be the last and everything should be well because I can鈥檛 say what鈥檚 inside of every congressman.)
On Wednesday, Capiz 2nd District Rep. Fredenil Castro, Laguna 1st District Rep. Dan Fernandez, and Batangas 2nd District Rep. Raneo Abu were replaced as deputy speakers. The three lawmakers are known allies of Cayetano.
Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo was also replaced as the head of the House contingent to the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET).
This was not the first time that a shake-up in House leadership happened following the ouster of Cayetano from the Speakership post in October.
First to take a hit was Camarines Sur 2nd Dist. Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr., one of the most vocal allies of Cayetano,聽who was stripped off his deputy speakership post聽merely a day into Velasco鈥檚 stint as the new speaker of the House.
Villafuerte was replaced by 1-PACMAN Party-list Rep. Mikee Romero, who Cayetano previously removed as deputy speaker at the height of the speakership row.