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MANILA – Marinduque district representative Lord Allan Jay Velasco’s camp on Thursday criticized House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s decision to remain in office as a “political affront” to President Rodrigo Duterte.
Speaking to the ANC’s “Matters of Fact”, the representative of the first district of Oriental Mindoro, Doy Leachon, urged Cayetano to honor the agreement to exchange terms as a speaker, allowing Velasco to take the reins of the chamber.
“We will wait for it to happen on October 14. After all, it was the original agreement of the parties,” he said.
Under the shared term agreement that Duterte negotiated last year, Cayetano will lead the House of Representatives for the first 15 months of the 18th Congress or until October, while Velasco will serve for the remaining 21 months.
Leachon also criticized Cayetano’s offer on Wednesday to resign as “inappropriate,” saying it amounts to nothing.
“With all due respect to him, there is really no offer to resign because by law the resignation must be final,” he said.
“Yesterday’s vote doesn’t really amount to anything, whether they vote for the president or for the cong. Velasco. It’s just that they will reject the offer,” he added.
The presumed president’s side also claimed that there were legislators who were “under duress” to vote in favor of Cayetano.
“There were congressmen ordering them how to vote,” he said.
Members of the House voted 184-1 with 9 abstentions to reject Cayetano’s offer to resign.
When asked about Cayetano’s prediction that Velasco would be toppled after a week if the Marinduque legislator takes command of the chamber, his side has the following to say.
“It hasn’t happened yet. Why not honor the deal and let’s see what happens?” Leachon said.
