Koko Pimentel: Cayetano has to work for House speakership, to meet PDP-Laban Thursday night

Amita Legaspi, GMA News

July 11, 2019

Taguig Representative Alan Peter Cayetano may have been named by President Rodrigo Duterte his bet for House Speaker but there is still not assurance that he will get the post, Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said Thursday.

“Advantage siya ngayon with the statement of the President. Suwerte nga niya e. He has the advantage (but) not an assurance, he still has to work for it,” Pimentel said during the Kapihan sa Senado.

He said Cayetano, a member of the Nacionalista Party, still has to convince members of the House of Representatives to vote for him.

“He still has to convince the members para hindi siya magulat.  He has to make sure na lahat will vote for him. Put in writing everything para klaro, sa July 22 ang formal vote,” he said, referring to the opening of the 18th Congress.

“He (Cayetano) cannot sit as House Speaker without the support of PDP-Laban,” he added.

Pimentel said Representatives Johnny Pimentel and Aurelio ‘Dong’ Gonzales Jr of Partido Demoktratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) are set to meet Cayetano and his representatives Thursday night for a negotiation.

“Details will have to be threshed out,  may meeting ngayong gabi between PDP-Laban representatives and Rep. Cayetano and his representatives for the details, ‘wag nating pangunahan baka deal breaker pa ‘yung iba,” he said.

He said the meeting is important because PDP-Laban, which he heads, has 85 members in the House.

“We have 85 members, part of the negotiation is the proportional representation na sundin,  even sa number of committees. ‘Yung senior members bigyan ng senior positions, the committees should allow us to pursue our agenda,” he said.

He said there should be give and take.

“Ang gusto kong sabihin, in the true spirit of negotiation dapat give and take. Anlaki ng take niya  (Cayetano) House speakership. You can never sit as House Speaker kung wala kang plurality of vote,” he said.

Duterte earlier endorsed Cayetano to be Speaker in a term sharing arrangement with Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco. Under the proposed setup, Cayetano would serve as Speaker during the first 15 months and Velasco, the remaining 21 months. 

GMA News Online has reached out to the camp of Cayetano, but has yet to receive a reply as of posting time. — RSJ, GMA News