No puny leader

Controversies always seem to shadow Alan Peter Cayetano, the House Speaker who is in yet another maelstrom.

Not a few of his peers have observed that it’s almost always that issues dealing with finances had broken out where his shadow had passed.

Not that Cayetano is corrupt, nobody is accusing him of such. But there is always that tinge of anomaly — however unfounded at times — wherever he lays his leadership expertise.

So young and so experienced is Cayetano that he had clinched the House

Speakership with relative ease despite a bloody battle.

Marinduque Rep.

Lord Allan Velasco and Leyte Rep.

Martin Romualdez were no match to

Cayetano’s political adroitness.

He was an expert, learned from the masters of the trade when he joined the House of

Representatives as almost a young boy and the Senate as still a young man.

His attempt at the vice presidency was commendable. It must have been really tough facing a well-funded administration bet and a Marcos heir. But he did well, really.

Early into his stint as

House Speaker, Cayetano took control of the organization of the

30th Southeast

Asian Games, which the country hosted in 2019.

Yet early on, controversy had marked its start. Cayetano had to form two organizing committees both named Phisgoc. Each, however, had a separate yet interweaving personalities.

In the end, Cayetano used the one which did not require him to sign papers despite being its chairman.

The SEA Games, a gift to President Rodrigo Duterte as it was its 30th edition, needed billions of pesos to be held.

The government gave Cayetano’s Phisgoc some P8 billion for it to run the spectacle.

He asked for more. The private sector chipped in.

From its kick off, overpriced uniforms and gears were noted by the athletes themselves.

Then snafus came in the welcoming of delegates, many of the foreign athletes and coaches subjected to what

Filipino hospitality was totally not, making them sleep on hotel floors and some on chairs.

Food was bad. Even the

Filipino athletes were served kikiam, a street food.

The cauldron built at the

New Clark City was not without controversy.

Its design was taken directly from that of an unbuilt tower earlier meant for the Philippine

Centennial celebration.

Some VIP had to spend for their fuel needs despite the

Games being sponsored by a big oil firm. It turned out the release of the gas

vouchers was badly handled.

Yet there were more.

Now, Cayetano is hounded with billions more of issues.

His peers in Congress are complaining that it is only Cayetano’s Taguig City which receives far more allocations from the country’s annual budget.

It is no secret that Taguig City is Cayetanowood. He and his wife Lani have split its congressional

district.

The city is ruled by his brother as mayor.

Then consider his ally, Camarines

Sur’s LRay Villafuerte, a very lucky lawmaker. He enjoys what the Cayetanos have in project fund share.

The projects are coming from the Department of Public Works and Highways. It is led by Mark Villar, son of Manny and Senator Cynthia Villar.

The Villars, Cayetano and Villafuerte are key figures in the Nacionalista Party. Now, figure that out.

The rest of the lawmakers are saying they’re only getting P2 billion-worth of projects annually.

Some of them even less. This is where the controversies get deeper.

The Viber groups of these congressmen are interesting to read. It shows how low they have become.

All of it happened under Cayetano’s watch.

But he’s an experienced leader. Of course.

“Villars, Cayetano and Villafuerte are key figures in the Nacionalista Party. Now, figure that

out.

“It’s almost always that issues dealing with finances had broken out where his shadow had passed.