He told congressmen-supporters that

what he is advocating is not a "term

F extension" for lawmakerc without the
; neuts
THE PHILIPPINE STAR
TUESDAY I JULY'I6,20'I9 benefit of an election but a longer stay
in office when elected- He said lhe
House would have to get the Senate
FROM THE STANDS to support a longer term.
He clarified this, saying, "While
DOMINI M. TORREVILLAS we will push for federalism, there is
a way that the Senate will agree, and
that is we push either for four years
'ur'ith no term liinit or five years with
The speakership term limit."
Under the Constitution, House
members have a term of office of three
rom my stand in farawav Min- ' deceit, dissent and distrust.' years with two reelections, or a total of
danao,- I read with u-.rdi't,"nt On the other hand, Rep. Mikee nine consecutive years in office. Sena-
I media's televised and printed Romero of 1-Pacmary who heads the tors have six vears, with one reelection,
reports the goings on in the'power S4-member Paftylist Coalition (PLC), or a total of 12 years.
brolers' domain in Imperial
brokers' domain lmperial Manila. told ABS-CBN News Channel it would Under his proposal, congressmen
Letme backtrack some. When a "coup" be counterproductive for the House would enjoy an aditional one-yeax
toppled the reign of House Speaker rcpresentatives to go against the wishes or two years in office per term, while
Pantaleon Alvarez, President Rbd rigo of the President. 'nVe will have a very senators would lose one vear.
Duterte and his daughter Davao City destructive government. lt will be the Cayetano considers hii proposal "a
Mayor Sara Duterte earpio ernbraced nation, the economy and the people who practical thing ... not a political thing."
with open arms the ascension of for- will suffer if we go head-to-head against Currently, with a term of three
mer President Gloria Macapagal Ar- Malacanang. You know, the economy is years, a congressman has practically
royo to the office of Speakir.-Media I expanding by seven to eight percent in one year for his lawmaking duties.
reports said the "coup" was planned terms of GDP (Gross Domestic Product), He soends at least six months of his
ard executed in utmost secrecv. it might collapse if we quarrel. So, really, first year organizing and learning the
This time, ihe choice of "House we have to go hand-in-hand." ropes, and on the third year, he starts
Speaker was done with openness. The According to media reports, Presi- thi.nking and campaigning for the next
Preside_nt publicly endorsid Congress- dential Spokespersdn Salvador Panelo election.
man Alan Peter Cayetano of Taguig, stressed that the President had never I wonder how the senators
and Congressman l-iord Allan VeLsc"o intervened in the speakership row. His feel about Cayetano's proposal.
of Marinduque to share the plum po- endorsement of Cayetano came only LeL's see if Cayetano is voted to
sition. Cayetano will serve aJ Speaker after the position aspirants sought the the speakership by his colleagues,
during the first 15 months, and Vblasco, President's help to break the impasse. and what Congress will do to push
the next 21 months. Congressman Mar- The President did not want to intrude, federalism.
tin Romualdez of Leyte was endorsed Panelo said, it's the contenders who **
as majority floor leader. asked him for his decision. But on the Cotabato City recently celebrated
The President's announcement term-sharing agreement Panelo said its 60th founding anniversary with
carne as a surprise - if not as a thun- the matter is for the 18t[ Copgress to colorful pageantry plus a motocross.
derbolt (hidden though it may be) to make the choice. Thousands gathered at the city plaza
some. The Chief had -said eariier Lhat Cayetaro, a former senator who lost to dance the Zumba and participate in
he wjll not meddle with the speaker- as presidential candidate Duterte's the Disco sa Kalye.
ship issue, that he would Ieaveit to the running mate in the 20'16 election, was "It was heart-r,r'arming to see a large
House to elect the man (a woman is appointed Secretary of Foreign Affairs, crowd of Cotabateffos celebrate our an-
not being considered, mind you) of and won in the 2019 midterm election niversary," said Mayor Cynthia Guiani.
their choice. What made him"change as representative of Taguig. Already, "This only proved that the people were
his mind? Not that mind-change is n"ot after President Duterte announced his confident about going out at night,
h.is option. Can his allies in Congress choice as Speakeq he is gung-ho aboqt knowing that they would be safe,"
say no to the chief? Once nolorious for criminality and
Butit turns out that his closest allies lnonumental changes he is sponsor- illegal drug lrade, the cily became the
are the ones questioning his decision. ing in the 18th Congress.
Presidential children Mayor Sara and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel lll, presi- second in the Philippines to report the
dent of the ruling PDP-Laban palty, is largest drop in crime rates when Gui-
Congressman Paolo "Pulong" Duterte
reported as saying that Cayetano, who ani took over the. mayorship from her
are notin favor of the sharing arrange-
ment. (They seem to be notlearfuiof belongs to the Nacionalista Party, still ' older brother, Japal Jr. (The late mayor
has to woo his collealues to ensure his died of cardiac arrest when Cynthia
presidential ire; they have their own was vice-mayor.)
election as spealer.
choice for the seat- i{ep. lsidro Ungab On her first elected term, Cynthia
of Davao City's third distrjct; in iact willCayetano's chances {or election vowed to maintain peace and order
be shaky if not all 85 PDP-Laban
they have formed the Dutefte Coalition
members in the House will vote for as her top priority. The city has been
to gather support for Ungab.) attracting more idvestors as a result of
Sara (one of only two women him as the chamber needs only a plu-
rality to elect a speaker, said Pimentel. her peace and order campaign.
that the President publiclv said he is Her vision fm her second term is to
Cayetano therefore must deal with the
afraid of, the othei being Veronica, unite the city and inspire the citizens
his d_4ughter with his livi-in partner PDP-Laban members with "transpar- for a better communitv. In her oath-
Cie -to YTl6fidyle-t" 3alv)aoJ eizan:'' ency, fairness and respect." The spirit
cena) has been'quoted as saying her
of negotiatiohs is give and take * his taking speech, she detlared" "There
Lake is huge already, the speaker- is only one use of power and that is
Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP)-party ship, "so there must be a give," said to sewe the people* of Cotabato City."
is against term sharing. "lt is counter- Pimentel.
productive. It wiU slow down the last Email: d o m i n i t o n ea illas @ gmail. c o m
On tbp of his monumental aspi-
three years of the administration of the rations is scrapping the term limits *
President. The House will be wracked '
prescribed by the present Constitu-
with unseating the, incumbent speaker, tion for senators and congressmen, \ PAe6-,1rr