Cayetano to honor term-sharing deal on speakership

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said yesterday he would step down from his post in November and honor the term-sharing agreement with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.

With just three months left in his 15-month term as Speaker, Cayetano said the chamber is already preparing for the scheduled transition in leadership.

“Yes (I will step down). My 15 months end in late October or start of November... The House will be ready and the members are resilient regardless of whoever the Speaker will be,” he said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

“I haven’t seen anything that will make it change. We’re not talking (about anything) differently. We’re just quietly working, we’re preparing for that,” he revealed.

Under the term-sharing deal brokered by President Duterte himself, Cayetano will serve as speaker for the first 15 months or until October 2020, with Velasco taking over the post for the final 21 months of the 18th Congress or until June 2022.

Cayetano previously expressed desire to stay on as House leader until 2022, but said he would still consult with the President whether or not to relinquish the post.

Reports had quoted House members saying Cayetano should just continue as Speaker and that the term-sharing deal should no longer push through considering his high ratings late last year.

But earlier this year, Cayetano revealed an attempt to unseat him, which was denied by the camp of Velasco.