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MARINDUQUE representative Lord Allan Velasco criticized the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alan Peter Cayetano, for allegedly taking the 2021 budget bill hostage through his “political and theatrical maneuvers.”
In a statement released late Wednesday, September 30, 2020, Velasco said deliberations on the budget bill were suspended for the day.
There will also be no deliberations on Thursday, October 1, as Cayetano reportedly declared that no session will be held.
Instead of focusing on the job at hand, more political and theatrical maneuvers took the budget deliberations hostage. We lost a whole day, and even tomorrow where you have declared that no session will be held, which are crucial to meet our schedule, “said Velasco.
“These attacks and distractions only serve to perpetuate what is a purely personal agenda that threatens to delay the approval of the budget. This is the truth, ”he added.
Velasco issued the statement several hours after Cayetano delivered a privileged speech during Wednesday’s plenary session to criticize Velasco for allegedly spreading false news after his meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday night, September 29.
Cayetano confirmed, however, reports apparently coming from the Velasco camp that he agreed on Tuesday to resign as Speaker of the House on October 14, 2020 to honor the shared term agreement he forged with Velasco in July 2019.
In his statement, Velasco reminded Cayetano of the promise he made during his meeting with the president on Tuesday night.
“October 14 was chosen as the date for the rotation because we promised to approve the budget before October 14 and do nothing else to interrupt or derail the process,” Velasco said.
“Thank you for confirming this in your September 30 privilege address and for sharing with the body that this is what we discussed during our meeting with the President, who will resign on October 14 and announce him yourself as a gentleman.” He went to Cayetano.
Velasco asked other members of the House to continue working on the budget bill and pass it on or before October 14.
“This is the commitment we have made to the president, and this is our responsibility to our voters, to deliver a fair and equitable budget,” he said.
“I assure my colleagues that we will be a kind leader who will listen and respond to your concerns. But I make a sincere plea: let’s defend the dignity of the House of Representatives by being men and women who believe in the “Word of Honor” to keep our word and defend the shared term agreement. President Cayetano and I swear to honor and respect ”, He added .
The heated race for oratory between Velasco and Cayetano, both members of the ruling PDP-Laban, began even before the opening of the XVIII Congress in July 2019.
To resolve the conflict, President Rodrigo Duterte stepped in and negotiated a shared term agreement in July 2019.
Under the agreement, Cayetano will serve as Spokesperson for the first 15 months until September 30, 2020, while Velasco will direct the Chamber for the remaining 21 months of the XVIII Congress. (Marites Villamor-Ilano / SunStar Philippines)
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