By JOHN CARLO M. CAHINHINAN
NEW CLARK CITY – Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano clarified that only President Rodrigo Duterte can determine whether or not the term-sharing deal for the House leadership will proceed as planned.
Cayetano’s statement came following the pronouncement made by National Unity Party (NUP) President and Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga that the proposed 15-21 term sharing deal between Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco may not push through, considering the high trust and approval ratings gained by the former Foreign Affairs secretary during the recent survey released by Social Weather Station (SWS).
Cayetano said Duterte, chairman of PDP Laban-led super majority coalition, has the final say on the fate of the Speakership.
“Now it is a coalition—Diehard Duterte Super Coalition, or super majority. Ang head ng coalition na iyan ay ang Pangulo, so while independent ang Kongreso at hindi nakikialam ang Executive, ang nagde-decide for the coalition ay iyung Pangulo,” said Cayetano.
Duterte last July brokered the term-sharing agreement between Cayetano and Velasco to finally end the hotly-contested speakership race that cause divisions among administration allies
Under the deal, the former chief diplomat would hold the post for 15 months, or up to October next year, after which Velasco takes over.
Barzaga, the head of NUP contingent—the political that solidly supported Cayetano’s bid for the House leadership from the start–earlier said that if the current leadership under the Taguig-Pateros solon sustains good performance, “there would be a groundswell among House members and the public for him to stay on.”
But for Cayetano, he will just follow whatever Duterte thinks is best for the coalition.
“I promised the President, I’ll do a good job and one month or two months before iyung middle or pinag-usapan, I’ll go for him for instructions, so kung ano ang instruction ng Pangulo, iyun ang
masusunod,” said Cayetano.
“Wala namang dapat ikaba iyung kahit sino kasi nga lahat naman tayo ay sumasang-ayon na ang Pangulo ang magde-decide, and so far mayroon siyang standing the decision, so far that stands,” he added.
