NAGPAPATULOY ang banggaan ng kampo ni Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano at ang gusto umanong pumalit sa kanya ng mas maaga na si Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.
Ngayong araw ay naglabas ng pahayag si House Deputy Speaker Luis Raymond Villafuerte at sinabi na hindi maaasahan si Velasco dahil hindi nito kayang tayuan ang kanyang mga ginawa.
“It doesn’t make sense for any sane person to take Rep. Lord Velasco at his word, given that he now swears to high heavens that he did not mastermind the failed coup against Speaker Alan Cayetano, even if 20-plus House members have separately told us that they had been offered by Rep. Velasco himself with committee chairmanships and extra budgetary allocations in our chamber in exchange for supporting his assumption as Speaker ahead of the 1521 term-sharing leadership change later this year,” ani Villafuerte.
Ang tinutukoy ni Villafuerte ay ang pahayag ni Velasco kung saan nito sinabi na wala siyang kinalaman sa napapabalitang kudeta laban kay Cayetano.
“That he is not man enough to take responsibility for his pathetic action after its failure speaks volumes of the flawed character and lack of credibility of Rep. Velasco who, in the first place, is bereft of the gravitas, track record and experience in public office to replace Speaker Alan at the helm of the bigger chamber,” dagdag pa ni Villafuerte.
Kung hindi umano kayang tayuan ni Velasco ang kanyang mga ginawa ay hindi rin maaasahan na tutuparin nito ang pangako na isusulong ang mga pro-poor, pro-growth legislative agenda ni Pangulong Duterte kapag naupo na ito.
Si Cayetano at Velasco ay mayroong gentleman’s agreement kung saan unang uupo si Cayetano ng 15 buwan at papalitan ni Velasco na magtatagal sa puwesto ng 21 buwan.
“How can Rep. Velasco assure our peers in the House of continuity in the President’s legislative agenda, which Speaker Alan has ably shepherded in the House on his watch, when Rep. Velasco does not seem honorable enough to abide by something as basic as a gentlemen’s agreement, let alone one that had the imprimatur of Pres. Duterte who is the titular head of our ruling coalition?”
Kung mayroon umanong sinang-ayunan si Villafuerte sa pahayag ni Velasco ito ay ang hayaan ang mayorya ng mga kongresista na magdesisyon sa sasapitin ng term sharing agreement.
“I trust the collective wisdom of our peers for them to discern which leadership setup in the chamber would best advance the President’s legislative agenda and serve the best interest of the Filipino people for the remainder of this Administration,” dagdag pa ni Villafuerte.
Nauna ng sinabi ni Velasco na wala siyang kinalaman sa kudeta laban kay Cayetano. Ang hindi umano totoong kuwento ay naglalayong hatiin ang mga kongresista.
“Up to this day, I continue to honor the term-sharing agreement brokered by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte when the 18th Congress convened in July 2019. From the beginning, I never had any intention of reneging on this agreement. Tayo po ay lalaking may isang salita.”