BY ELLSON A. QUISMORIO
“Palabra de honor” or word of honor is a Spanish expression that means one has to honor the verbal commitment he or she made to another person.
Is “palabra de honor” still being practiced in politics?
Curiously, that was the question raised by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano when two of his key allies took part in the session of pro-Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco solons at Celebrity Sports Plaza on Monday.
Cayetano was referring to congressmen Joey Salceda (Albay) and Conrado Estrella III (ABONO Party-List).
During this outside-of-plenary session, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Salceda and Deputy Speaker Estrella helped unseat Cayetano (Taguig-Pateros) and install Velasco as the new House Speaker.
Cayetano said he had a “heart-to-heart talk” with Salceda prior to Monday’s events. “Sabi ko, ‘Joey, we are friends.’ Sabi niya, ‘Yes sir.’ So sabi ko, ‘Are you for me, or against me?'”
“‘We are friends,'” Cayetano said, quoting the Bicolano.
“So sabi ko, ‘That’s why. If you tell me you are not for me, friends pa rin tayo dahil pulitika lang naman ito. Speakership lang naman ito. But if you are for me, I have to know I have to make plans (on the 2021) national budget at isasama ko siya sa small group na magmi-meet ngayon.'”
“So siya pala ang nagli-lead sa kabila. So nasaan ang palabra de honor? Pwede naman niya ako tawagan, ‘Sorry Speaker, nandito na ako kay Cong Velasco,'” the Taguig-Pateros lawmaker said.
Curiously, “Palabra de honor” has been the “battlecry” in the past few weeks by Velasco and his allies in their word war against the Cayetano camp, since they’ve accused the sitting Speaker of purposely dishonoring their term-sharing agreement for the House’s top post.
Another solon singled out by Cayetano for ultimately siding with Velasco was Estrella, who in the 18th Congress had been given a rare privilege by the House leadership as a deputy speaker from the party-list ranks.
“He was in my office the other day, he was telling me all the plans nung kabila,” the Speaker said.
“He was telling me, ‘Speaker, masisira ang Kongreso na ‘to. Speaker, matagal na tayong magkasama, hindi ako papayag. Pulitika OK lang, pero hindi ako papayag na ganito ang mangyari,'” Cayetano recalled Estrella saying regarding the pro-Velasco solons’ coup plot.
“So nasaan ang palabra de honor ni Cong Estrella kung ganun ang kanyang ginagawa? ” he asked.
Some 186 House members voted in favor of Velasco’s speakership during the country club session. (Ellson A. Quismorio)
