vot. xxx l . 245 . 3 SECTIONS 16 PACTS. Plt Tl{URSDAV. oCTOBER
CAYETAN0: SCUTTIING 0F SPEAKERSHI P
..DEA[
UP TO DUTERTE
. ByMaricelV.Cruz
SPEAKI'R Alan Peter Cayetano said Tues-
day he will let President Rodrigo Duterte
decide if he stays in his post after his 15
months under a term-shaxing agreement
with Marinduque Rep. Lold Alan Velasco
thar rhe ChiefExecutive brokered.
'As of now. all of us are working vgry
hard lro push the l6gislative agenda of the
Presidentl. I am working very well with
everyone, especially lwithl our Majority
Leader Martin [Romualdez] arrd he has
been producing lor the House," Cayetano
said at the inspection of the of the P13-
billion New Clark City sirorts complex in
Pampang?i.
Cayetano said he will rneet with Presi-
dent Duterte one or two months before his
15-month speakership ends "to know his
fate."
"I promise the President, I'll,do a good
iob and one month or [wo months before in
ihe middle oftbd agreemenr. t'll go to bim
for instructions. Whatever the President has
to say. we will all abide by it. Tba( was the
agreement then, Majority Leader Martin i
Romualdez and congressman Velasco all
agreed to it." Cayetano said.
"He
said Duteite as the titular head of thet
supermajority will decide his fate'on the
House leadership. Next page
17.2019.
Cayetano:,..
Frcn A7
Nevefiheless, Cayetano assued Velasco
that he has nothing to worry about, and tbat
what is importaot is for them to pass the leg-
islative ageoda of Duterte.
Earlier, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga,
chairman ofthe House committee on natu-
ral resowces, said Cayetano's 64 pe&ent
and 62-perc€nt apFoval and trust ratings iD
tbe Pulse Asia survey "are Emarkable if we
consider the low marks the House rcceived
in previous Congresses."
Barzaga said the term-shariDg arrange-
ment for the position of Speaker may sooD
be scutded.
"lf Speaker Ceyetano sustains bis good
performance as shown by bis high trust
and approval ratlogs in the latest Pulse Asia
ouartiilv report- tbete would be a ground-
swell arnong House members and the public
1
for him to stay on," Barzaga said
"I am sure he will sustain that perfq-
mance. There is no reason for him not to. So
whv dranse c'I swaD hoses il midsrreu? We
miiht as ivetl retain him as our Speaker fur
thfu yean until June 30,2022," he added.
\r :FrJot)T fl\qP tt