By JOHN CARLO M. CAHINHINAN

Amid reports of a brewing House coup, newly appointed House committee on appropriations chair Eric Go Yap maintained that there should be an election of a new House leader once Speaker Alan Cayetano steps down later this year.

In an interview with CNN Philippines, Yap said he maintains his earlier stand against the term sharing deal between House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Alan Velasco.

“Pag dating ng botohan, boboto lang kami kung sino gusto namin,” said Yap.

“I mean, hindi tungkol Speaker Cayetano o Cong. Lord… kung may term-sharing, mag-bobotohan, eh di boto lang,” he added.

Yap, representative of party-list ACT-CIS noted that Presidential son and Deputy Speaker for Political Affairs Paolo Duterte also didn’t favor the term sharing and said during the Speakership election last year that “if the Speaker resigns after 15 months, then we will have to elect a new Speaker.”

“Ang stand naman namin, balik kami doon noong nagbotohan dati ah… ayaw kasi namin ng term-sharing eh,” said Yap.

“Kasi yung term-sharing from the start, sinabi ni Cong. Paolo Duterte, ayaw niya ng term-sharing. Pero hindi siya for kung sinong kandidato ah. I mean, kung may botohan, boboto lang kami,” he added.

Yap on Monday replaced Davao City 3rd district Rep. Isidro Ungab as chair of the powerful appropriations panel.

The replacement of Ungab confirmed earlier rumors that Cayetano and his henchmen are planning to get rid of the HNP stalwart for reportedly squealing to Malacañang the irregularities surrounding the passage of the 2020 national budget last December.

It was Ungab who reportedly told President Rodrigo Duterte and Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado about the P80-billion worth of congressional realignment and parked funds in the 2020 national budget which was initiated by legislators very close to the Cayetano, particularly those from Deputy Speaker for Finance Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte after the ratification of its bicam report.