Marinduque Representative Lord Velasco issued a statement on his term-sharing agreement for speakership at the Congress with current Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.
Velasco shared in a Facebook post the following statement:
“Trust and honor are values that are important, especially in these trying times. They reveal our true character and show what we, as leaders, are truly made of.
And it is in this period of difficulty that our people yearn for honorable leaders whom they can trust–– Leaders who are able to live up to their promises come hell or high water, Leaders with Palabra de honor who lead not with lip service, but who back up their words with action.
When the House Speakership term-sharing agreement was entered into, it was based on mutual trust and confidence. After all, it was an agreement brokered by and forged in the presence of no less than President Rodrigo Duterte.
The covenant was crystal clear: a 15-21 term-sharing agreement. The first term expires on Sept 30, after which the second term immediately begins. That was the pledge made before the President. As true leaders and as examples for our people, both sides are obligated to avoid situations or statements that would subvert the agreement and betray the trust of our people who’ve stood witness to the covenant.
Let us uphold the agreement as this was made “FOR GOD AND OUR COUNTRY 1521”. I have always intended to honor the agreement. We all should. Our people deserve nothing less.”
Lord Velasco and Allan Cayetano term-sharing agreement
Cayetano and Marinduque Representative Lord Velasco has a standing term-sharing agreement for the speakership.
The speakership term-sharing agreement was supposed to be 15 months for Cayetano and 21 months for Velasco.
President Rodrigo Duterte arranged the agreement at the start of the 18th Congress in July last year.
But last week, Cayetano accused Lord Velasco and his supporters of leading the most recent attempt to remove him as the House Speaker.
Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte said the “supermajority” of solons still wants Taguig representative Alan Peter Cayetano as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.