MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte said Taguig-Pateros representative Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque representative Lord Allan Velasco will share the term as House of Representatives speaker.
Duterte on Monday endorsed Cayetano as the next House speaker while Velasco will continue midway with the term, adding Leyte representative Martin Romualdez as the Majority leader.
“I’m sorry, I’m quite late. I was talking to three people. I think it’s about time I talk. So, your Speaker will be Alan Peter Cayetano. Ang sharing dito is he shares the term with Lord Velasco. And si Romualdez will be the Majority Floor Leader,” Duterte said.
“I tried to distance myself from the (House speakership) but apparently I said it’s time that I talk. So, ganun ho ang ano – that’s the set-up,” he added. “I decided to speak up about the issue because it has been creating so much uncertainty.”
Cayetano thanked Duterte for the endorsement as he urged his fellow lawmakers to unite.
“Para sa ating Panginoon, para sa ating bayan, let’s all work together and let’s not make it about politicians, about ourselves, about the Duterte administration, something that will uplift ang kabuhayan ng bawat Pilipino,” Cayetano said.
“Sa lahat ng congressman, please join the die-hard Duterte super majority has come to town. We’re going to show that it’s not only the President ang pwedeng magkaroon ng political will kundi po pati ang ating House of Representatives,” he added.
Cayetano earlier claimed he agreed to serve as House speaker for 15 months and be succeeded by Velasco for 21 months, but the latter allegedly backed out at “the last minute.”/PN
