Allies install Lord as new Speaker

MANILA, Philippines, October 13 ------ Allies of Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco installed him as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives yesterday, effectively ousting Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, who challenged the validity of the procedure and insisted that he remained the leader of the chamber. Covered live by Radio-TV Malacañang and livestreamed via the Facebook page of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, a total of 186 lawmakers voted to elect Velasco in rites held at the Celebrity Sports Plaza in Quezon City.

“I would like to extend my hand to Speaker Cayetano and hope that he would be amenable to sit down with me as we comply with the agreement for a peaceful transition for the benefit of our members and the country,” Velasco said in his acceptance speech. No less than President Duterte brokered in July 2019 the term-sharing agreement between Cayetano and Velasco, in which the former was to serve as Speaker for the first 15 months while the second 21 months would be taken over by Velasco – an arrangement proposed by Cayetano himself.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio confirmed that she and Velasco met in Davao City over the weekend, during which she made it clear that her Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) party “will respect their term-sharing agreement.” “He intimated that there will be a speakership vote and he sought for my help, as the chairperson of HNP, with regard to the votes of the three HNP congressmen from Davao region,” she said.

In a speech after his election as Speaker, Velasco acknowledged the challenges lawmakers under his leadership have to surmount. “It has been a difficult journey to get to where we are, one fraught with many frustrations and complications, but then we are all here, and this is a testament to our indomitable spirit and our collective commitment to honoring our word,” Velasco said.

“For what are we, who are we, if we cannot live up to our word? This is not the triumph of one, this is the triumph of everyone who believes that a promise is a promise,” he said. “The true measure of leadership comes not when things are easy, but especially when things are most difficult. Whether famine or feast, poverty or plenty, a leader will always rise to the challenge and respond to the call of service,” he added.

Source: philstar.com