Velasco’s term to start in Nov

THE House of Representatives will have a new leader in November, according to Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano. He clarified that under the term-sharing agreement between him and Marinduque Rep. Lord Alan Velasco, the change in leadership would take place in November, not in October.

President Rodrigo Duterte brokered the term-sharing deal between Cayetano and Velasco. Under the agreement, Cayetano will sit as speaker for 15 months, while Velasco would lead the House for 21 months or until the end of the 18th Congress.

“So, actually, hindi (it’s not) October, kasipang- 15th month pa lang ‘yung October, so November pa (because October is only the 15th month, so it would be in November),” Cayetano said in a radio interview on Sunday.

He added that the President decides on who would lead the House coalition.

“W alana man nag ba ba go po, simula nu n gum pisa sin a biko ang House is a coalition. Ang Presidente decide sa coalition, kungsinoangmag-li- lead. Having said that, nagpapasalamat ako sa Pangulo na binibigyan nga po at ni rerespeto niya ‘yung ng legislature( Nothing has changed, I have said that the House is a coalition. The President decides who will lead the coalition. I am thankful to the President for respecting the authority of the legislature),” he said.

Cayetano assured the public that whatever happens in the House leadership, Congress would continue to function well.

“Let me assure everyone na kung an oman ang mangy ari sa House, kung sino man ang leader sa House, napakaramipong magagalingna congresswomen and congressmen, ‘yung sistema namin,‘yung secretariat, ‘yung professional secretariat napakagaling (Let me assure everyone that whatever happens in the House, whoever might lead the House, there are a lot of able congresswomen and congressman, our system, the secretariat, they perform well),” he said.

“Napag-usapannamankasi kung magpapalitan ng liderato ( We have discussed that if the leadership would change), if only the Speaker and baka isang committee lang (maybe just one committee) and everyone else will stay. So, we don’t really know what will happen, magkakaroon pang caucus ‘yanatpag-uusap saatingPangulo (there will be a caucus and discussion with the President). But I would rather right now focus on the budget,” he added.

Cayetano said he wanted deliberations on the national budget finished in November.