Cayetano ready to quit House post
Credit to Author: Franz Lewin Embudo| Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2019 16:18:32 +0000
SPEAKER Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday said there was no need for a coup d’etat at the House of Representatives because he was willing to step down from his post.
In an ambush interview at the Club Filipino in San Juan City, Cayetano said he did not want to speculate if there were plans to replace him as Speaker amid swirling coup rumors.
“‘Yung gusto naman maging speaker, puwede naman maging speaker. Hindi naman ako magkakapit-tuko sa posisyon na ito (Those who want to be speaker can have the position. I will not cling to my post),” he told reporters.
He added that his colleagues could ask him to step down if they want to change the House leadership.
“They don’t have to have a coup d’etat, they can come to me and say,’ Sir mas gusto namin si Martin Romualdez.’ Eh kasundong-kasundo ko naman si Martin Romualdez, sige (They can come to me and say we prefer Martin Romualdez. I am in good terms with Martin Romualdez). Martin take over,” Cayetano said.
“After 15 months, sabihin naman ni (Rep. Lord Allan)Velasco ‘Ako naman.’ Eh ‘di take over (Velasco can say, ‘It’s my turn.’ He can take over),” he added.
President Rodrigo Duterte last week warned Cayetano and Velasco not to break the term-sharing deal they agreed upon.
Coup rumors swirled after Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio posted a cryptic message for lawmakers on Instagram.
“‘I told you so’ is a sure-fire way to kick-start an argument. In the same way, ‘You do not listen’ will ignite a conversation into a heated one,” she said.
“May I just say to everyone in Congress, ‘I told you, but you did not listen, so there you go,’” she added.
Duterte-Carpio, head of the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, had opposed the term-sharing agreement between Cayetano and Velasco, saying it was “counter-productive” and would “slow down” the remaining three years of the Duterte administration.
Last week, the President cautioned Cayetano and Velasco against turning their backs on the
term-sharing deal, saying it was a gentlemen’s agreement.
He said there would be a problem if Cayetano will change his mind.
“He (Cayetano) does not want to honor it. That’s his problem,” the President said in a television interview.
“I was there when we agreed. [It was the] three of us, and I announced it after,” he added.
Cayetano had repeatedly said the House speakership should be put to a vote.
“Under the rules of the House kailangan magbotohan (A voting should be done),” he told reporters.