Leadership

Jazz legend Miles Davis must’ve been talking about life when he famously said, “It’s not the notes you play, it’s the notes you don’t play.” It could not have been just about music. His words — or notes if you will — could apply to our next dish’s ingredients, the next words to a journalist’s still incomplete phrase, or maybe in leadership and steering the political culture and future of a country fast losing its honor. Like ours. But there are still a few who could keep their heads high. Who could maintain grace even when under intense attack. It’s the notes you don’t play.

So out of tune was the House leadership in the past days that Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has again shown a character not expected of him.

Cayetano, the Taguig City representative, is reneging on his agreement with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco to share between them the House leadership.

He is supposed to serve just 15 months. Velasco is to finish all 21 months until the next elections are held.

It was Cayetano who described their deal in front of President Rodrigo Duterte as a “gentlemen’s deal.” Turning his back on the agreement, he proved himself the opposite of a gentleman and one without honor.

It made one of his members quip: “One who backs down on vows to his peers could not be truthful to his vows to serve his country and people.” We could not agree more.

Cayetano claimed that Velasco had attempted to snatch the House leadership four times. The media should know if there was one. Not much could escape the media’s noses.

But there was one we remember that Cayetano and his coup pals had tried to forge — that one in March this year. There was also one he tried against Koko Pimentel when they were together in the Senate. Both attempts had failed.

It was not Velasco who tried in March, but Cayetano himself, using a supposed clamor from his allies for him to stay as Speaker as his short term neared its end.

Cayetano is once again using the same script, accusing Velasco of orchestrating yet another coup over the weekend. Coup. Coup. Coup. There was none. Cayetano is using the coup bogey to mask the accusations coming from his own House majority allies that he had cornered a lion’s share of the funds for the Department of Public Works and Highways for 2021.

That was the issue being thrown at him when Cayetano once again cried wolf after he got cornered by his own peers.

Imagine the inequity as Cayetano will receive P9,762,773,000 for 121 projects ranging from repairs, widenings and expansion of roads, construction of buildings and rehabilitation of old structures in Taguig City.

He will be sharing the amount with his wife Lani, who represents the other half of Taguig. They are the only husband and wife who are living together but who represent separate districts of a city.

The other congressmen are receiving far, far less. But possessing power pays… a lot.

He was out of tune in claiming a coup. But there was dissatisfaction among his peers, contrary to his claim of still having overwhelming support.

In contrast, Velasco took Cayetano’s taunting in a very cool manner.

He issued this statement:

“I have been silent during the duration of the gentleman’s agreement in deference and respect to the sitting Speaker.” “My silence does not mean I’m disinterested nor I have turned my back on the covenant.”

“‘Being mum on issues’ means I just don’t want to call attention to myself. Being a party to the term-sharing agreement, one does not and should not seek to compete with the current Speaker as a gentleman’s agreement is in force. We will have our turn at the right time.”

“When both parties finally honor the agreement, I will show my colleagues the kind of leadership I espouse. Thereafter, at the end of my term, my peers can then be the judge of my loyal service to God, to the President, and ultimately to the Filipino people.”

He did not allow himself to be sucked into Cayetano’s dirty tricks.

It’s the notes Velasco did not play that made him stand out as a true and honorable gentleman — a leader.

It turns out Velasco possesses the leadership the incumbent possesses only due to the transactional politics he espouses.

The House needs Velasco as a leader. It should come soon — even without a coup.

No less than the President has said it. They need to respect the agreement. The one who turns his back on it will walk in shame for the rest of his life.

“It turns out Velasco possesses the leadership the incumbent possesses only due to the transactional politics he espouses.

“One who backs down on vows to his peers could not be truthful to his vows to serve his country and people.