Cayetano-Velasco: A look-back on the speakership duel

After weeks of grueling discussions, Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco has claimed victory over Taguig-Pateros Representative Alan Peter Cayetano for the House Speakership in Congress.

As both Alan and Allan continue to be in the news following their respective fates from the recent election, let’s dive into the events that led up to this, which started in mid-September.

September 17, 2020 – In the midst of discussing the 2021 national budget, Negros Occidental Third District Representative Arnolfo Teves put to light the alleged allocation of public works funds in Taguig (Php 8 billion) and Camarines Sur (Php 11.8 billion), districts represented by then House Speaker Cayetano and his Deputy House Speaker Raymund Luis Villafuerte respectively. Villafuerte then responded that Teves’ move to question the said funds is a means of derailing Cayetano’s commitment to fast tracking the national budget, which Teves refuted.

September 20, 2020 – Following the continued squabbles on the national budget, Presidential son and Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte made a threat to declare the posts of House Speaker and Deputy speaker vacant upon the session’s resumption on September 21.

September 21, 2020 – Cayetano remained as House Speaker, as pronouncements from Davao City Representative Duterte did not materialize.

September 28, 2020 – 202 House Members signed the Manifesto of Recommitment to the Filipino People and the Leadership of Alan Peter Cayetano, supporting Cayetano’s speakership and breaking away from the term-sharing agreement between him and Velasco as brokered by President Duterte in 2019.

In the term-sharing agreement, Cayetano was allowed to sit as Speaker for the first 15 months of the 18th Congress while Velasco will continue the term for the next 21 months starting in October.

September 29, 2020 – Both Cayetano and Velasco met and spoke with President Duterte to discuss the details of the speakership.

September 30, 2020 – During the plenary debates of the 2021 national budget, Cayetano offered his resignation in a privilege speech. This was shot down by 184 lawmakers.

October 1, 2020 – Following the rejection of Cayetano’s resignation, Velasco made an accusation that the Taguig-Pateros representative was holding the 2021 national budget hostage to delay its passage.

October 6, 2020 – As a response to Velasco’s hostage claim, Cayetano pushed and approved the 2021 national budget for the second reading, and was carried by the House. With the speakership turnover set to happen on October 14, 2020, the House suspended the session until November 16, 2020.

October 12, 2020 – Two days before the expected speakership turnover, Velasco and his camp held a session outside Batasang Pambansa Complex in an effort to remove Cayetano from his seat and elect the Marinduque representative as the new House Speaker. Cayetano refused to acknowledge Velasco’s election and released a manifesto that showed the support of 200 lawmakers.

October 13, 2020 – A total of 186 Members of Congress voted to ratify Velasco’s election as the new House Speaker, officially ousting Cayetano from the post. Cayetano, however, claimed that he was not ousted, thus tendering his irrevocable resignation.

During a time when the Philippines remains in crisis and at the mercy of the COVID-19 pandemic, one can only ponder on the objective of this speakership showdown in Congress. Velasco secures the House Speaker seat. Will this move equal to better governance and accountability? How will Filipino lives and livelihoods be a priority in this battle of survival and economic recovery? How will the new leadership pan out? As we push towards 2021, we continue to hope for recovery, with vigilance.

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