Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, President Duterte’s choice for speaker, was elected leader of the 18th Congress, getting 266 out of the 300 possible votes in a two-way speakership contest yesterday.
Comebacking Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante, a Christian bishop, received 28 votes, and is expected to become the minority leader once the non-Cayetano voters affirm his leadership of the recognized opposition bloc.
There were no fireworks leading to Cayetano’s election after neophyte Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, eldest son of President Duterte, rose to be the first of three House members to nominate the comebacking Metro Manila lawmaker for speaker.
An outspoken critic of the term-sharing scheme for speakership that was endorsed by his father, the young Duterte was reported to be planning to block Cayetano’s bid to become speaker by nominating another candidate for the post.
However, the plan fizzled out after the newly-elected Davao City lawmaker met with Cayetano over the weekend to settle the issue.
Cayetano later announced that Rep. Duterte agreed to help him and Rep. Duterte accepted his offer to become deputy speaker for political affairs, a new position.
“Mr. Presiding Officer, before I make my nomination, I would like to manifest that following the term sharing agreement is one between Cong Cayetano, Romualdez, Velasco and the President. I am against any term sharing agreement. However, if the Speaker resigns after 15 months, then we will have to elect a new Speaker,” stated Pulong.
Also rising to nominate Cayetano were Reps. Lord Allan Velasco (PDP-Laban, Marinduque) and Martin Romualdez (Lakas-CMD, Leyte) who both withdrew their respective bids for speaker in deference to President Duterte’s recommendation of the leadership make in the Lower House.
Following traditiion, neophyte Iloilo Rep. Braeden John Biron, the Benjamin of the Lower House at 25, administered the oath of Cayetano.
The speaker’s wife, Taguig Rep. Lani Cayetano, stood by as he was sworn in as House leader. Also tasked to stand as witnesses were Reps. Michael Romero (1Pacman Partylist); Romualdez and Velasco.
Evangelist and newly-elected CIBAC Partylist Rep. Eddie Villanueva prayed over Cayetano, a deeply religious lawmaker, before the speaker ascended the rostrum to begin his term.
As announced by Duterte two weeks prior to yesterday’s opening of Congress, Cayetano and Velasco will serve as speaker under a 15-21 months term sharing scheme.
The Makabayan bloc and the Liberal Party no longer fielded candidates as planned.
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, who was supposed to be nominated, said the six solons representing the bloc agreed to join Abante’s bid to become minority leader with the condition that its partylist members will retain their freedom to pursue their respective advocacies, mostly critical of the Duterte adminstration.
Rep. Christopher Belmonte (LP, Quezon City) said eight members of the 18-man LP bloc supported Abante to establish a formidable and independent opposition force in the Lower House.
Reps. Lito Atienza (Buhay Partylist); Manuel Cabochan (Magdalo Partylist) and Edcel Lagman (LP, Albay) abstained from the voting. Their decision makes them independent members of the Lower House. (Ben Rosario)
