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The plenary hall of the House of Representatives. (File photo from INQUIRER.net)
MANILA, Philippines – House of Representatives leaders crossed party lines to express their support for Alan Peter Cayetano’s tenure as speaker, though that meant going against his shared term agreement with Marinduque representative Lord Alan Velasco.
In a manifesto, several House leaders from different political parties expressed their “continued full and equivocal support for President Cayetano and the entire leadership of the House, and they join the President in his desire to allow members to chart their own course. in choosing those who would lead in this chamber. “
Among those who signed the manifesto were the leader of the House majority, Martín Romualdez, who is president of LAKAS-Muslim Christian Democrats; The leader of the Welcome Abante minority of the National Unity Party (NUP); Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr., who is president of the NUP; and Vice President Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. of the Nationalist Party.
The signatories were Vice Presidents Aurelio Gonzales Jr. and Johnny Pimentel, both from PDP-Laban, Velasco’s political party.
Several other House and political party leaders also signed the document.
“The burden of leadership comes with certain privileges, among which is the honor of representing our fellow citizens in matters of public importance. But with this also comes the challenge of living up to the high standards of our compatriots, ”the manifesto said.
“And in this, we, the members of the Duterte Administration’s Super Majority Coalition in the 18th Congress, now unite and pledge our commitment to the continued leadership of President Cayetano as we strive to always put the best interests first. of the Filipino at all times. ”, He added.
The manifesto also called for immediate approval of the proposed national budget for 2021.
“Amid the political noise that has engulfed and threatened to derail the immediate and smooth passage of the General Appropriations Act of 2021 in the House of Representatives, members of the 18th Congress are now called to act, with the welfare of its constituents and the country as a whole, and put aside partisan disputes in favor of a broader popular agenda that demands a fair, balanced and equitable budget that helps the country recover quickly from the effects of COVID-19, “it said The manifesto. .
In July 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte said that Cayetano would serve as Speaker of the Chamber for the first 15 months of the XVIII Congress. Velasco would then be successful in serving the remaining 21 months under a shared term agreement.
If this were fulfilled, Cayetano’s mandate would end in October of this year.
In February, Cayetano said Velasco promised presidencies and budget allocations to members of the lower house, and said he had received “verified” information about an “attempt” to remove him as president.
Velasco denied there was a plan to expel Cayetano and said the reports on the matter were “unfounded.”
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