Nlalnga' Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Cayetano tells Velasco:

Apologize to Rody fot lying
BY WEI{DETI VIGITA
TAGUIG-Pateros Rep. Alan Perer Cayetano yes-
teiday stepped up his attack agaiost Madnduque
Rep. Lord A.lan Velasco, sayhg Velasco should
apologize to President Duterte for making it
appear that the Chief Executive lied vzhen he
conirmed that he had approved a term-shadng
agreement between the two candidates foi speaker
of the 1 8th Congress
Cayetano continued to pounce on Velasco
denying last week that the t*o of them had a
term-sharing agleement in the ptesence of t}te
President, who has already admitted that he medi- -.
ated betweeo the two lawmakers.
The President suggested the term-sharing in a
bid to end the speakership race which has divided
the administtation coalition at the House of
Reptesentatives.
"Cong Velasco owes tlre President an apol-
fot See CAYETANO) PageB3

had asked for the Presidends bless- President's priority measutes

CAYETANO
osv and the FiliPino, his honesry,"
Civeuno told ANC a daY aftet
oresidential son and Darzo CitY
ilep. Paolo Duterte castigated
bic^kering speaketship candidates
for allegedly playing dirty to sectue
the fourth highest position in t.l,
countrv,
ing to be the next sPqaker when he
decided o run again for congtess-
man, they rcld the President drat
Iord should be dte next sPeaker
once Speaker Gloria MacaPagal-
Artoyo steps dou.n
'"Ihev on to the President and
promise that v/e'U
e said, isn;t there a
be the speaker after GMA? Arrd
because the House vrill have an
ideal work-ing relationshiP not
only with the Senate but with the
Executive as well.
"Nobody among the curteat
qoD of contenders for the SPeak-
ership other than CaYetano has the
leadership skills, legislative expeo-
ence, competence and gtavitasto
.

' Velasco, vrho was fielded bY
some leaders of the ruling PDP-
Laban to run against Cayeano and
I-e1te Rep. Mattin Romualdez of
Lakas, was not immediatelY avail-
able for comment.
Cayetano, a former senator and
foteign affaits secretaty, earlier
then it became, khat about term-
sharins?" he said.
Cuy""tuno said the President
agreed to the proPosal on the
condition drat Cavetano will be the
fust to sit as speaker
"They ffelascos) disagreed
and then .vhen it became 15-2I
work on-and achieve-better
cootdination between the two leg-
islative chambers and the executive
branch," he said.
Villafuete, who is also ftom the
NP, said he does oot see a lePeat of
the House-giggered conglessional
deadlock ovet the Passage of the ,

revealed that Velasco and his wife
Rowena ot 'qWen" backed out of
dreir tetm-shadng agreement evefl
it already had President Dutete's
blessing
"I-ord said there was oo such
agleement so it's okaY to me that
hi lied because politiciaos lie,"
Cayetano said. "But to call the
Prisident (a) liar by saYing that
there's no such agreement, I'll not
take that sitting down."
The agreement was for CaY-
etano to take the 6rst 15 months
as speaker while Velasco will serve
the remaining 2l months.
Velasco has said there vras no
such an agreement because the
Ptesident did not mention "term
sharing ' when he announced last
week that he would no longer Pick
his spealership bet. He said major-
ity of supporters ate against term-
shadng because it wil not onlY be
divisive but vzill.also hamper their
lesislative work.
"C"v.tarro. st"l-urt of the Na-
"
cionalista Party Q{P), reiterated
\\t that it was Rowena vrho broached
the idea of term-sharing which the
vtr.6)T Pfesident latei aPProved'
He said that wheo the Velasco
(months), Lord \tlasc\o- said
there was no such agreement,"
he said.
Cayetano said the sPeakershiP
row was supPosed to have been
resolved when he sPoke with
Roweoa who told him that het
husband would abide bY the agtee-
ment.
"She said, 'don't worY about
Lord, he's a good Person. He'll
follow what we've agreed uPon,"'
he said, quoting Rowena.
There was also a rePott over dre
vreekend that Paolo vras tutned off
after seeing Rowena suriog at his
father duting *re dinner that he
hosted for neophlte lawmakers in
Malacaffang last June 18. Rorveoa
was reportedly dismaYed aftet the
President reitented that he would
no longer choose his sPeaketshiP
bet.
The administration coalition
divided after some PDP-
'x'as
Laban members oPPosed their
leader's' decision to sign a mani-
'festo of suPPott for Velasco's
bid.
Camadnes Sur ReP. Luis RaY-
'mond Villafuerte said having
Cayetaoo as sPeaket will lead
2019 GAA (General APProPria-
tions Act) which fotced govero-
ment to flln on a leenacted budget
from lanuary to April.
Th; delay was largely blamed
by economic managets fot the
siate under-spending that led to
the lower-than-exPected glowth
of 5.6 percent in the Year's first
quaftet.
Villafuerte pointed out
that Finance SecretarY Cados
Dominguez wants the Plesi-
dent's economic team to have
mote frequent engagements
vriti lavrmakets with an eYe on
moving ahead on the Duterte ad-
ministration's remaining priotity
measures requiting conglessio-
nal apptoval.
"Given his ovet two-decade
track record in the executive and
legisladve branches. CaYetano is
the best aspiraot for Speaket in the
l8thCongtess to adePdY steet dre
House of RePresentatives towatds
better rapport and coordination
with bodr the Senate and Malaca-
ffang in pursuit of fultller eco-
nomic and socio-political teforms
that Presideot Duterte wants to Put
in place over the next duee Years

couple found out tlat to the speedy of the of his watch," he said.
Ptee CaYetano Passage