Speaker of the House of Representatives Alan Peter Cayetano said that his willing to step down from his position if the House of Representatives no longer want him to be their leader anymore.
Based on the report, his radio interview on Monday, Cayetano made the remark where an alleged plot to oust him from his position was supposed to take place.
“Ang bilin ko po kanina, kung mayroong magmu-move, pagbigyan nila. Kasi kung ayaw na sa akin, kusa po akong aalis. Bakit po tayo magpipilit?” Cayetano said.
“Pero hindi naman pupuwede po na ‘pag may isa o dalawa manggugulo ay ‘yung buong Kongreso, susunod na lang,” he added.
On Sunday, presidential son and Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte confirmed sending a text message to lawmakers saying that he would ask the Mindanao Bloc to declare House leadership positions vacant on Monday afternoon amid issues involving budgetary allocations for the legislative districts of congressmen.
“The text message that I sent to another lawmaker — and is now making the rounds — was an expression of my personal dismay upon hearing the concerns of my fellow lawmakers,” he said.
However, on Monday, no motion to declare the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speakers vacant was made as the House plenary session abruptly ended just 18 minutes after it was called to order.
Cayetano said that although Duterte and him are not always talking personally with each other, he respects the President’s son very much and he believes the latter also respects the Office of the Speaker.
“I believe magkaibigan kami—clinarify naman niya na ‘wag lang kasi gagamitin pangalan niya at gusto lang niya maayos ang takbo at ‘yung mga pondo,” Cayetano said.
Recently, Cayetano also apologized to the public over the quarreling at the House over budget issues. But what is important to him is to finish the ongoing budget deliberations and allocate the needed funds.
“Let me take this opportunity to apologize to the public. Isa o dalawang congressman lang po ‘yan na nag-aaway sa pondo. A great majority of congressmen po ay mature, tinitignan po ‘yung overall,” he said.
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