ACT-CIS Party-List Rep. Eric Go Yap posted on his Instagram on Saturday night and early Sunday pictures showing presidential son, Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte getting chummy with a special guest all the way from Manila–Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.
Yap, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, posted photos showing himself, Rep. Duterte, Speaker Cayetano, Taguig 2nd district Rep. Ma. Laarni Cayetano (Speaker’s wife), and House Deputy Secretary General Brian Yamsuan from Davao.
He captioned the two separate posts as “Chillax night” and “Happy sunday.”
The House personalities were seen having dinner in one of the photos, with huge smiles on their faces. In another showing a head-on group shot, “Pulong” had his right arm wrapped around Rep. Cayetano, who was in the middle. Yap also received “horns” from the host, who appeared to be enjoying himself.
The Speaker’s Davao visit came just a week after Rep. Duterte confirmed a plot to unseat him via coup as he cited concerns with the deliberations on the proposed P4.506-trillion budget for 2021.
The plot didn’t materialize during sessions that week, with the Appropriations panel even managing to approve the budget bill for plenary consideration.
That same week, House members from various districts and across party-lines backed the idea of Cayetano remaining as Speaker, despite his much-publicized term-sharing deal with Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) stalwart, Marinduque lone district Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.
Under the pact, Velasco will take over as Speaker this November for the final 21 months of the 18th Congress. Cayetano would only serve as Speaker for 15 months.
If anything, observers said Speaker Cayetano scored a victory in managing to connect with Rep. Duterte and smooth things over with him during a crucial time in the legislature.
Reports said that Velasco’s camp has also been trying to reach out to the powers that be in Davao, weeks before the supposed turnover for the Speakership.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque also said last week that President Duterte, the man who brokered the term-sharing agreement, won’t publicly push the House members to support his party-mate Velasco’s bid. (Ellson A. Quismorio )
