PRESIDENT Duterte on Saturday reminded Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco about their “solemn” term-sharing agreement on the House of Representatives’ leadership that he described as a “gentleman’s agreement.”
“If anyone of them would not honor it, be it Lord Velasco or si Peter Cayetano that is, that would be his decision. But iyon, he has to take care that there is an agreement of sharing.
If you violate it… Usapan iyan (If anyone of them would not honor it, be it Lord Velasco or Peter Cayetano that is, that would be his decision. But he has to take care that there is an agreement of sharing. If you violate it… that is an agreement),” the President said in an interview at the presentation of great-grandson Rodrigo “Tres” Duterte III in Davao City.
The term-sharing agreement was suggested by President before Congress opened last July.
The arrangement was for Cayetano to serve as speaker first for 15 months and for Velasco to lead the House for 21 months.
Asked about the possibility of someone ignoring the arrangement, the President said “we should answer that question when we cross the bridge.”
He said for now the agreement stands.
“Iyon ang usapan. That was an agreement, a solemn agreement between the three of us. If you want to use the vernacular, usapang lalaki iyon (gentlemen’s agreement),” Duterte said.
The President said at present he’s satisfied with the performance of Cayetano as speaker.
Cayetano was Duterte’s former running mate in the 2016 elections and was later appointed as foreign affairs secretary, while Velasco was top pick of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, the administration party, for speaker.
