Solons seek to install Velasco as speaker today
As Congress prepares for Oct. 13-16 special sessions
Supporters of Marinduque lone district Rep. Lord Allan Velasco said yesterday they will try to install him as speaker of the House at 10 a.m. today although Congress is supposed to begin its four-day special sessions only tomorrow, October 13, to tackle the proposed ₱4.506-trillion national budget for 2021.
A highly placed source said Velasco’s camp, emboldened by the backing of presidential daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara, who report
edly made calls to House members over the weekend, will troop to the Batasang Pambansa Complex today and declare the speaker’s seat vacant.
The daring move is meant to consummate the term-sharing deal between Velasco and incumbent Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano of Taguig-Pateros. No less than President Duterte brokered the term-split between his two political allies last year.
Velasco has secured enough votes to win the House’s top post, with one lawmaker claiming that he has gained the backing of at least 200 House members.
“At least 200 congressmen have already committed to throw their support for Velasco,” 1-PACMAN Party-List representative and Party-List Coalition Foundation Inc. (PCFI) president, Mikee Romero said on Sunday.
Romero said the number may increase as the expected showdown for speakership on October 14 nears.
Cayetano is expected to meet with his top allies also today to discuss the 2021 national budget, but the venue of the meeting has not been disclosed to House reporters.
The source said that the pro-Velasco solons are banking on a repeat of the 2018 scenario when then-Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez was ousted by a majority of the sitting House members. Former President and then-Pampanga 2nd district Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was elected in place of Alvarez.
Planners of the Monday move noted how “it only took one day and everyone shifted allegiance” away from Alvarez. As in the 2018 incident, Mayor Duterte has reportedly been rallying solons to come out in force today, the source said.
In an impromptu Zoom press conference organized by Cayetano’s camp Sunday afternoon, Deputy Speaker and Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte showed a screenshot of the House party-list Viber group that basically confirmed the source’s information regarding Monday.
The screenshot showed messages from 1-PACMAN Party-list Rep. Mikee Romero, who was recently unseated as deputy speaker. Romero is the president of the Party-List Coalition Foundation Inc.
“For the overwhelming majority of PLs (party-lists) who (have) signed up already for LAV’s election tomorrow, thank you,” Romero said in the Viber message.
Villafuerte frowned at these tactics from the Velasco camp, describing them as disruptive to the President’s desire for the expeditious passage of the ₱4.506-trillion budget bill for 2021. “Kami focused sa budget, sila sa leadership change (We’re focused on the budget, while they’re focused on leadership change).”
Another deputy speaker and Cayetano backer, Surigao del Sur 1st district Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. agreed with Villafuerte. “Definitely there will be a disruption (in the) budget (passage). There will be a delay in the budget. I hope they won’t do that. It will be a big disservice,” Pichay said.
Minority Leader, Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. said on the possible political play Monday: “Mahiya naman sila (Shame on them).”
Opposition and administration lawmakers said they are willing to sit in the gallery of the plenary hall if this is what it takes to ensure the “observation of democracy and of health protocols” when special sessions start.
Cayetano on Saturday called members of the majority bloc to a caucus calling on lawmakers to set aside politics and focus on the passing of the 2021 General Appropriations Bill.
He appeared on a Facebook Live video before the caucus. There were no reports on who among the lawmakers were in attendance or if allies of Velasco, Cayetano’s speakership rival, were invited.
Cayetano appealed to everybody to focus on the budget passage and set aside politics.
He also assured President Duterte that he “respects his wisdom” in calling for a four-day special session to ensure that the ₱4.506-trillion proposed 2021 budget is passed in time and a re-enactment of the current budget is avoided.
Cayetano said they will work on the budget measure even during the weekend, if needed, in order to guarantee that the “special session will be very fruitful.”
Buckle down to work
Reps. Jose “Bonito” Singson Jr. (Ako Probinsyano party-list) and Lito Atienza (Buhay partylist) said that many House members have joined the clamor for the lifting of restrictions for solons attending plenary sessions that appeared to be “applied only to nonCayetano allies.”
“This time, let us stop the Cayetano clique from ramming down our throats their whims and caprices once again. Cayetano’s group exploited the COVID-19 health crisis to their favor and imposed their will on the majority who are prevented from voicing heir views during plenary sessions because of the limitations of virtual proceedings,” said Singson.
Singson urged all House members to be present during the special sessions in response to President Duterte’s call for congressmen to “buckle down to work.”
Singson and Atienza said it is Cayetano’s duty to ensure that mandatory health protocols are put in place during the four-day special session in order for all House members to carry out their duties as lawmakers.
“We are even willing to sit in the gallery so that proper social distancing is observed,” Singson said.
Atienza cited last week’s viva voce voting on the second reading approval of the 2020 General Appropriations Bill as a glaring example of how Cayetano and his group have been manipulating the sessions.
“We tried to object but the zoom conference administrator prevented us from unmuting our microphones. What kind of viva voce voting was that?” said the independent solon.
“Speaker Cayetano must not be allowed to get away with his old antics again. He has been handpicking House members who are given access to plenary sessions. That is why the public see the same old faces hogging the microphones every time there are sessions or committee hearings,” Atienza said.
Atienza said the call of President Duterte on Congress to conduct a fourday special session is clearly the Chief Executive’s outright rejection of Cayetano’s “highly irregular” cancellation of House sessions until Nov. 16.
He said Cayetano’s alleged act of aborting House sessions in a move to sabotage his term-sharing deal with Velasco did not sit well with Duterte, prodding him to issue Proclamation No. 1027 calling Congress to a special session.
“Malacañang has repudiated the speaker, who is clearly drunk with power, and has become a huge embarrassment and liability to the President,” Atienza said.
“Congressman Cayetano has betrayed the President. He has also double-crossed all the House members who elected him as speaker in July last year based on the term-sharing agreement blessed by the President no less,” he said.
Atienza said by abruptly calling off House sessions until Nov. 16, Cayetano “had imperiled the passage of the budget bill,” which then prodded the President to act.
He also noted that the cancellation of the House plenary sessions connotes that Cayetano is not willing to relinquish his post on Oct. 14.
“Through all sorts of political machinations, Congressman Cayetano has shamelessly reneged on his solemn promise – made before the President – to step down as speaker after 15 months and give way to Congressman Velasco,” Atienza said.
Moral authority
Oriental Mindoro Rep. Doy Leachon said Cayetano has lost his moral authority to lead the Lower Chamber after he messed up in handling the proposed ₱4.5-trillion national budget for 2021.
Last Tuesday, Cayetano moved for the approval on second reading of the budget measure. He also pushed for the suspension of regular sessions until November 16 although there were eight to nine more days left before Congress can adjourn.
Leachon’s observation about Cayetano’s weakening leadership was supported by Cebu Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa and Singson.
“Speaker Cayetano has miserably failed in his duty to lead the House in its mandate to review and pass the budget in the manner provided for in the Constitution and rules of the House,” said Leachon.
The senior administration lawmaker said it was such a shame that President
Duterte had to intervene and call for a special session in order for the House to rectify “major mistakes” made by Cayetano and his handful of allies.
“With all due respect, I think the speaker already lost his moral authority to lead the House,” said Abellanosa.
According to him, Cayetano is left with no other option but to resign.
Singson said Cayetano has failed House members and the people they represent in Congress following his mishandling of the 2021 budget.
“Speaker Cayetano has failed the nation and this is all because of his vicious desire to cling to power,” the party-list lawmaker stressed.
It took President Duterte’s proclamation to force the congressmen to return to work starting today after Cayetano’s motion for the suspension of session starting October 6 was approved.
While the Velasco camp aired serious doubts if there was a majority approval of Cayetano’s motion, the latter could no longer do anything to push for the resumption of sessions.
Under the legislative calendar, Congress was supposed to adjourn on October 16 and resume regular session on November 16.
Cayetano welcomed Duterte’s decision to undo what he and his allies did when the president issued a proclamation calling for the resumption of sessions.
Duterte also certified the budget bill as an urgent administration measure.