MANILA, Philippines– Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano offered his resignation as Speaker of the lower chamber Wednesday, a day after President Rodrigo Duterte settled the speakership row with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.
Velasco is to replace House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives on Oct 14.
“I will not be a party to letting the President down so I am offering my resignation here and now to you my dear colleagues. My fate and the fate of the 2021 budget and the fate of the leadership of the House is in your hands.”
house speaker alan peter cayetano
“Please don’t vote on party lines. Don’t accept or deny because of positions or what the President may say or what I might think. Bumoto kayo sakin or hindi (Vote for me or not), you are my friends, my colleagues,” he added.
Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor moved to reject Cayetano’s offer, and eventually, nominal voting among legislators ensued resulting in the refusal of the resignation bid, according to Inquirer.
184 lawmakers, however, rejected his resignation. One lawmaker accepted and nine others abstained from voting.
Late Tuesday evening, President Rodrigo Duterte settled the speakership row between incumbent House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.
In July 2019, Duterte facilitated the deal on sharing terms between Cayetano and Velasco by dividing their months in office. Cayetano will serve for the first 15 months and Velasco taking over as Speaker in the next 21 months.
With the latest announcement, Velasco is expected to lead the chamber until the end of 18th Congress in June 2022.