A TOTAL of 186 congressmen installed Monday, October 12, Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco as the new Speaker of the House and ousted Taguig Representative Alan Peter Cayetano from the house leadership.
Abang Lingkod Partylist Representative Stephen Paduano, who is a staunch supporter of Velasco, said the Marinduque lawmaker got overwhelming votes and support from the House members.
In fact, he said, of the 186 who voted, 120 of them were physically present at Celebrity Sports Complex in Quezon City where they held the session and installed Velasco after Cayetano padlocked the session hall at the Batasan Complex.
Of the 120, Paduano said six of them from Negros Occidental were there, including Bacolod Lone District Representative Greg Gasataya, Sixth District Representative Genaro Alvarez, Third District Representative Francisco Benitez and First District Representative Gerardo Valmayor.
Other congressmen cast their votes through text and zoom, Paduano said.
Other Negros congressmen could not be reached for comment as of Monday.
Paduano said Velasco, despite the continued threats of Cayetano to hold on to the speakership, will see to it that the 2021 national budget is approved.
He said Cayetano employed all the strategies just to hold on to power like the early adjournment of the session despite the request of President Rodrigo Duterte to urgently pass the budget.
Cayetano, he added, also dishonored the term-sharing agreement and even the September 29 meeting they had with the President.
Paduano said Cayetano besmirched the reputation of the House.
He also said that the only change that took effect at the House is only the Speakership.
Cayetano earlier said that if ever Velasco will get the speakership, he will certainly be subjected to coup.
