Cayetano couple eyes House seats

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and his wife Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano will both run for Congress in the 2019 midterm elections.

The outgoing DFA secretary will run as representative of the first district of Taguig City while his wife will run in the second district.

"Aside from an adviser, I need her vote so she (Lani) will also run for Congress in the other district, in the district of my elder sister Pia because she will be leaving," Alan Peter said.

Rep. Pia Cayetano, Alan Peter's elder sister, will be seeking a comeback in the Senate next year. She filed her certificate of candidacy for senator yesterday.

While his wife, sister and brother are all seeking elective posts in the 2019 elections, Alan Peter insisted that their family is not part of a political dynasty.

His younger brother Lino Cayetano will also be running for Taguig City mayor.

"You have to understand the dynamics. Our opponents in the first district mayor and congressman are siblings. Our opponents in the second district are father and son," Alan Peter said.

The DFA chief stressed that his wife Lani is the best person to solve the issues of Taguig's second district.

"If you win, you have a vision for the country and Lani is the best person in the second district who knows the problem, who can solve the problem of the second district."

Asked about proposals to ban political dynasties, Alan Peter said he will support the debates at the House of Representatives.

"I'll support the debates... I think there's no such thing as dynasty as the elections are fair but if majority of our lawmakers and people want it, I won't stop it," he said. —