PRESIDENT Duterte on Monday reiterated that he will not interfere or meddle in the implementation of the term-sharing agreement between House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.
The President, during the joint birthday celebration of Velasco and his wife, Rowena, at the Gloria Maris restaurant in San Juan, said the House of Representatives should run its own affairs.
Under the agreement, Cayetano will serve as speaker for the first 15 months while Velasco will serve the last 21 months.
Recent reports said Cayetano prefers to wait for the guidance of the President if he would relinquish his post to Velasco at the end of 15 months. The President brokered the term-sharing agreement before the House elected Cayetano last July 22.
Velasco broke his silence on the issue last Monday, stressing that “an agreement is an agreement — a gentleman’s agreement is a gentleman’s agreement.”
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, concurrent presidential spokesman, said the President had been consistent in pronouncements that he would not interfere in the affairs of the House “unless his advice is sought.”
In a press release issued by Malacanang, it said that Duterte also mentioned during the event that “he would throw his support to any politician who plans to run for the presidency in 2022.”
He also reiterated that he does not want his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, to vie for the president after his term ends.
Panelo said Duterte had also previously mentioned that if it were up to him, he would not allow his daughter to run for president which he described as a “thankless job.”
He said the President also mentioned this at the wake of businessman Lucio “Bong” Tan Jr. during his talk with tycoon Lucio Tan.
He said Duterte is “sincere” when he mentioned that he does not want Duterte-Carpio to run for president.
