President Rodrigo Duterte has maintained he will not meddle in the term-sharing agreement between House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, saying the House could run its own affairs.
READ: Cayetano: Scuttling of speakership deal up to Duterte
He made the statement on Monday during the joint birthday celebration of Velasco and his wife, Rowena, in San Juan City.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo also said the Palace was firm in its position not to interfere with the affairs of the House of Representatives.
“He doesn’t interfere with that,” Panelo told reporters.
Velasco said he would take over the Speakership on Oct. 18, 2020, on Monday.
READ: Velasco hopeful on ‘term sharing’
“A gentleman’s agreement is a gentleman’s agreement. Based on the gentleman’s agreement, I will see you next year as the next Speaker of the House,” Velasco told reporters.
Cayetano said as far as he was concerned “nothing has changed” in the agreement, but he admitted that he would like to retain his post until 2022, and that he would consult Duterte on whether or not to relinquish the post to Velasco.
Under a term-sharing agreement that President had brokered, Cayetano is supposed to step down after 15 months to give way to Velasco until the end of the Duterte administration.
Cayetano and Velasco were the top contenders for the speakership of the 18th Congress, and they have sought the President’s blessing to put an end to the brawl that bugged the lower chamber for months.
Meanwhile, President Duterte assured his political allies he would throw his support behind any politician who plans to run for the presidency in 2022.
But he said he did not want his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, to run for the top post.
“I dissuade my daughter from running. It’s a thankless job. It’s all about work, work, work,” Panelo said quoting Duterte.
READ: Solons urge Speaker: Honor term-sharing