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MANILA, Philippines – Several members of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives have expressed their support for the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alan Peter Cayetano, amid the public speaking problem that now plagues the lower house.
In a manifesto dated September 25 that was signed by 16 members of the minority bloc led by the minority leader Bienvenido Abante Jr., lawmakers said Cayetano has provided “enough democratic space” to allow them to make their points of view known. view and advance your positions on various issues.
Apart from Abante, other legislators who signed the manifesto were:
Iloilo 1st District Representative Janette Garin
Quezon City 6th District Representative Jose Christopher Belmonte
Samar Sharee 2nd District Representative Ann Tan
I am Provincial Rep. José Singson
Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr.
Stella Luz Quimbo, representative of the second district of the city of Marikina
Farmer Partylist Rep. Algiers Joseph Cabatbat
Cavite 3rd District Representative Alex Advincula
A representative of participating teacher Mom. Victoria Umali
Rep. Partylist of Recoboda Godofredo Guya
Agusan del Norte 1st District Representative Lawrence Fortun
Partylist Representative of Apec Sergio Dagooc
BHW Angelica Natasha Co Partylist Representative
Zamboanga del Norte 3rd District Rep. Amazing proverb
Kalinga Representative Partylist Irene Gay Saulog
Lawmakers said the minority bloc’s views were answered “with open discussion rather than closed firing.”
“This environment, in our opinion, is the product of the House’s leadership under President Alan Peter Cayetano. Under his leadership, members of the Minority have been given free rein to exercise our right to speak up for the voiceless, to defend the marginalized and to defend the marginalized, ”legislators said.
“All this would not have been possible without the sufficient democratic space that the Spokesperson has generously provided,” they added.
“We are united with the majority through our shared aspirations to serve the Filipino people, fight for the oppressed and bring progress to the nation,” lawmakers said of Cayetano’s leadership.
“It is in this context that we believe the House of Representatives would be better served with the current leadership at the helm, especially now that we are in the midst of budget deliberations that are crucial to our nation’s recovery from the Covid -19 pandemic,” said the legislators.
While the bloc acknowledged that it is the majority that will eventually make the decision on who will lead the House, minority lawmakers said: “It may be more prudent for us to present this discussion in the meantime, as our country is currently navigating troubled waters.” .
“In such situations, it may be wise to assist the captain who has guided us safely through this storm, rather than being sidetracked by a debate over which hands should be at the helm,” lawmakers said.
The minority bloc also called on Congress to put politics aside and focus on the welfare of the public as the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.
“Let’s put politics aside first and focus on what we should be focusing on: the welfare of the people,” the lawmakers said.
https://twitter.com/NAMercadoINQ/status/1310156160897396745
Recently, several legislators from different party lines approached the plenary to show their support for Cayetano’s leadership, declaring that they will support him during the remaining 21 months of the XVIII Congress.
To recall, in July 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte said that Cayetano would serve as Speaker of the House in the first 15 months of the XVIII Congress, while Velasco will manage to serve for the remaining 21 months under a shared term agreement.
If this continues, Cayetano’s mandate will end in October of this year.
In February, Cayetano claimed that Velasco is promising the presidency and budget allocation to members of the lower house, and said he received “verified” information about an “attempt” to remove him as president.
Velasco denied the alleged plan to expel Cayetano, saying the reports on the matter were “unfounded.”
LEE: Velasco hangs budget, presidency to congressmen – Cayetano
The topic of public speaking resurfaced during the Public Works and Highways Department’s budget briefing before the House appropriations panel when Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves, Jr. questioned the distribution of funds among congressional districts, particularly those of Cayetano and Vice President Luis Raymund Villafuerte in Taguig City and Camarines Sur, respectively.
Recent arguments over the proposed national budget for 2021 have led many to question whether this is related to the shared term agreement between Cayetano and Marinduque representative Lord Allan Velasco.
/ MUF
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