Knowing the ways of the Lord

Lord Allan Velasco – CHILD JESUS ​​ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines – To his friends, Lord Allan Velasco is a reassuring presence and a quiet worker, but to his enemies, he is “lazy” and still lacks the seriousness to take the helm of the House of Representatives.

The “cold and focused” temperament of the sole Marinduque representative showed on Tuesday when he stood on the President’s rostrum after winning a fierce battle against a rival with more political experience, Alan Peter Cayetano de Taguig.

“I never saw him lose his temper,” said his longtime ally, PBA Rep. Jericho Nograles, vice chairman of the House energy committee chaired by Velasco.

“I know it is advisory and rational. He doesn’t rush to make decisions until he gets the necessary facts and opinions on the matter at hand, ”Nograles told the Inquirer when asked to describe the new Speaker.

At 42, Velasco is the youngest person to lead the post-Edsa House, and the second-youngest in the chamber’s history after Sergio Osmeña de Cebu assumed the presidency in 1907 at age 29.

Political home

Like his predecessor, Velasco is a lawyer and comes from a clan of politicians.

He is married to Rowena Velasco, with whom he has five children, one of whom is named after the couple’s good friend, the mayor of the city of Davao, Sara Duterte.

His father is the former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Presbitero Velasco Jr., who is now Governor of Marinduque, and his mother is the Mayor of Torrijos, Lorna Quinto-Velasco.

Velasco earned his law degree from the University of Santo Tomás (UST) in 2004 and passed a bachelor’s degree the following year. He earned his degree in business administration from De La Salle University in 1997.

Shy and bright student

“He was really a shy person who rarely stood up in my class to recite or make a point,” wrote his UST law professor, Josephus Jimenez, in his column for the Cebu-based Freeman newspaper on Sept. 7. October.

“He was a brilliant student (I gave him good grades) and took the Bar only once, but he really wasn’t the type to be interested in speaking. Very rare for a young politician. He just smiled and with his non-verbal communication with his teachers and classmates but he never wanted to be the center of attention, ”said Jiménez.

Velasco, he said, “just wanted to enjoy his student days, never aiming for high honors or aiming for exemplary academic performance.”

First years in government

Velasco began his career in government in 2006 by heading the judicial staff of his father’s office on the Supreme Court. He then returned to Marinduque to serve as a provincial administrator from 2008 to 2009, according to his official curriculum vitae (CV).

At age 31, Velasco ran for representative of Marinduque and won. He lost his bid for reelection in 2013, but managed to overthrow his opponent in an electoral protest over citizenship issues. He took his seat just days before the session was suspended in February 2016. He then won the same House seat in the 2016 and 2019 elections.

His record as a legislator all these years has not been exemplary, according to his detractors.

In the current XVIII Congress, he authored 64 measures, of which six have become law, although most of them were bills of collaboration with various other authors.

He fared better in the previous Congress, where he was the lead author of 110 bills, 36 of which became law. They were mostly local measures.

Defenders

Velasco’s range of interests is shown in the kinds of laws he had championed, including measures to reorganize the judiciary, ensure uninterrupted power supply nationwide, and institutionalize a subsidy program for the children of public school teachers.

Sustainable energy has always been one of its main causes, having led the energy committee since the last Congress.

“As president of energy, he always pushed for cheaper and cleaner energy so that people and industry operate in a more efficient and reliable way,” said Nograles.

In the conversations, Velasco showed “a deep understanding of the complex issues behind his humble and unassuming personality,” according to Albay’s representative Joey Salceda, who defected to Velasco’s camp on Monday.

‘Congressman absent’

He said Velasco will bring “youth, energy and dynamic curiosity” to the House leadership. The Speaker’s hobbies are diving and motorcycles, according to his CV.

But his enemies are not convinced that Velasco has the mettle to lead the House.

Former Vice President Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. described Velasco in September amid the dispute over the speech as “an absent congressman” and “lazy.”

He also criticized Velasco’s silence on a number of issues that involved the House, from the passage of the 2020 Anti-Terrorism Act to the rejection of the ABS-CBN legislative franchise.

“Where was he on all the important matters relating to the House?” said the legislator of Camarines Sur. “A Speaker must have a strong voice. A Spokesperson must have a position of principle on important issues, ”said Villafuerte.

Velasco was not a member of the franchise committee when the panel decided the fate of ABS-CBN, which voted 70-11 on July 10 to reject the streaming giant’s request for a new license. He did not speak publicly about his views on the franchise or the anti-terrorism bill.

For Muntinlupa’s representative, Ruffy Biazon, Velasco’s calm and soft-spoken nature ultimately aided his cause in the battle of wits against Cayetano.

“He did not give in to emotional outbursts or impulsive decisions, but remained calm and focused. He consulted with his colleagues and listened to their advice. Above all, he stood firm but not confronting, ”he said.

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