A majority of the House of Representatives on Tuesday elected Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco as their new speaker, in a plenary session boycotted by supporters of his predecessor, Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano.
Velasco’s election realized the term-sharing agreement that he had signed with Cayetano in 2019 and thwarted efforts by the former speaker to stay in his post.
A total of 186 congressmen–more than 60 percent of the 299-member House–voted to ratify the election of Velasco, which was held first at the Celebrity Sports Plaza in Quezon City on Monday afternoon.
The congressmen ratified Velasco's assumption to office at the House Plenary Hall ahead of the scheduled resumption of the session at 3 p.m. to tackle the 2021 national budget.
In July 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte had brokered a term-sharing agreement between Cayetano and Velasco that gave the speakership to the former the first 15 months of the 18th Congress. Velasco was supposed to take over after that, in October 2020. As the deadline for the turnover approached, however, Cayetano sought to stay on as speaker and even said Velasco would be ousted in a “coup” after two weeks.
Tuesday's session was presided by Cayetano-appointed Deputy Speaker Conrado Estrella of the party-list group Abono.
Pampanga Rep. Juan Pablo Bondoc, a deputy majority leader, moved that nominal voting be conducted to ratify the election of Velasco as speaker.
In his acceptance speech, Velasco urged his colleagues to immediately pass pending important bills, particularly the proposed 2021 national government budget.
In a social media post also on Tuesday morning, Caytano said he was tendering his “irrevocable resignation" as speaker but will work on to shepherd the passage of the 2021 national budget in the chamber.
Cayetano said he accepted defeat and was happy for the new speaker but said it is his commitment to finish 2021 budget bill deliberations.
“We’re okay, we will continue to help but right now, verbally, I am tendering my irrevocable resignation as the speaker of the House of the Republic of the Philippines,” Cayetano said.
While he conceder, Cayetano appealed to his fellow legislators to conduct the election of Speaker at 3 p.m. Tuesday or the scheduled resumption of session for the budget deliberations.
“At 3 o’clock, elect your new Speaker and pass the budget… You can elect at 3 o’clock. There will be no maneuvers, no political tactics will happen there,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Cayetano also apologized to President Rodrigo Duterte for “misunderstanding” that he wanted him to stay on to finish the budget deliberations before stepping aside for Velasco.
“Based on my understanding, I was to handle the budget and I was told until budget deliberations are finished so that there would be no disruption and I invited Congressman Velasco to join me,” he said in Filipino.
“Mr. President, if I made a mistake, I apologize.… It was never my intention not to follow you,” he added.
Cayetano said was saddened by the divisiveness caused by the leadership row even as he also apologized and thanked his supporters and staff, and thanked the President for the opportunity to be speaker of the House.
He alleged that there were “acts of violence” when Velasco’s camp pushed to open the plenary session earlier than expected.
“Doors at Congress were destroyed, I told my secretary general I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Just let them do what they want if they want to take over. Let them use the hall, no one will be hurt,” Cayetano said.
Cayetano, his wife Lani and some congressmen stayed at his home in Taguig while he was being unseated.
But Velasco supporter, Rep. Jericho Nograles of PBA party-list group, said Cayetano’s online resignation was out of order because he was no longer speaker when he offered it.
In his inaugural address on Monday, held in a makeshift session hall at the Celebrity Sports Plaza in Quezon City, Velasco said: "It has been a difficult journey to get to where we are, one fraught with many frustrations and complications But then, we are all here.”
"I was asked why I would want to lead the House of Representatives during the worst possible time, in the midst of a global pandemic that has crippled governments and upended our lives… But why not?” he added.
"We commit to pass laws that are responsive to the needs of our fellow Filipinos here and abroad – laws focused on jobs, the economy, health care, food on the table, peace and order, and clean, sustainable energy. And most of all, today's events would ensure that the President's call for a timely, legal, and constitutional approval of the 2021 budget will be complied with," Velasco said on Monday.
Velasco is the son of incumbent Torrijos, Marinduque Mayor Lorna Velasco, and ex-Supreme Court associate justice and now Marinduque Gov. Presbitero Velasco, Jr.
He earned a business degree at the De La Salle University and took up law at the University of Sto. Tomas.
Cayetano on Tuesday said he is leaving his speakership post “with a clear conscience.”
“I have done my best, I have given my all, I leave with no regrets, and I hold no rancor in my heart towards anyone,” Cayetano said.
Cayetano said he is hopeful that resigning as speaker “will pave the way for the constitutional transition for the new leadership.”
“I call on my colleagues — let us restore the dignity of Congress as an institution and as a symbol of democracy, and right the wrongs that have been made in the name of partisan politics,” he said.
“From the start I have always said that I will abide by what the President, as leader of our coalition, will say,” Cayetano said in a Facebook post.
“Today, given the untenable political situation that Congress has been placed, and the possible damage to the country if the 2021 budget is not passed on time — I take his admonition to put aside all politics and focus on the budget to heart, and with this, tender my irrevocable resignation as speaker of the House of Representatives effective immediately,” he added.
The President's son, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte on Tuesday was elected as chairman of the House of Representatives' committee on accounts.
Deputy Majority Leader Juan Pablo Bondoc moved to nominate and elect the younger Duterte to the position.
The committee on accounts, as defined by the House website, is tasked to deal with "all matters directly and principally relating to the internal budget of the House including budget preparation, submission and approval, disbursements, accounting, and financial operations."
Duterte replaced Cavite Rep. Abraham Tolentino of Cavite. Rep. Paolo Duterte was appointed as one of the 22 deputy speakers under Cayetano’s leadership.
Cayetano said he was surpised by the move to replace Tolentino.
Akbayan chairperson emeritus Etta Rosales on Tuesday slammed the leadership change, saying Congress is the rubber stamp of the Duterte administration.
“Same dog, different collar. Whether it is Cayetano or Velasco, Congress will remain Duterte's rubber stamp. There is no restoration of order, integrity and independence, there is only subservience," she said.
