President Duterte has named Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano as the administration Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan candidate for House Speaker.
Duterte, during the oath-taking of newly appointed government officials in Malacañang yesterday afternoon, said Cayetano will share term with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, who was earlier announced as PDP-Laban bet for House Speaker.
The President also said that Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez will be the House Majority Floor Leader.
“Your Speaker will be Alan Peter Cayetano sharing dito is, he’ll share the term with Lord Velasco, and si Romualdez will be the Majority Floor leader,” he said.
Duterte had earlier stood his ground that he will not interfere with the affairs of the House of Representatives.
However, he said that he had to step up because it has been creating uncertainty.
“I think it’s about time I talk…I tried to distance myself from the…but apparently, I said it’s time that I talk. So ganoon ho ang ano, that’s the setup,” he said.
“Nagpunta sila dito, pinatawag ko. ‘This has to stop. I will now talk,'” he added. “I do not enjoy it. I avoided it. Kita mo naman, it’s creating so much uncertainty and… I’ll now talk.”
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said that Duterte decided to step up since the rivalry for the position was starting to destroy the unity of PDP-Laban.
“Since the election of the Speaker has resulted in a bitter and fractious rivalry that threatens the break-up of political allies, the President, to save the unity of the alliance and avert its fragmentation, obliged to the request of the three candidates, who to their credit agree to respect the choice of PRRD,” he said.
“It’s Alan Cayetano as the Speaker in the first 15 months, then the next 21 months, the Speaker will be Lord Allan Velasco, with Martin Romualdez as the Majority Floor Leader,” he added.
Panelo had earlier said that there’s nothing wrong if Duterte ends up helping them resolve the issue once and for all. “Kung sila mismo ang lumapit at humingi ng tulong to resolve, how can you call that interference? The President will engage or oblige them,” he said. (Argyll Geducos)