MALACAÑANG on Tuesday, July 9, clarified that members of the House of Representatives still have the final say on who should serve as Speaker.
The Speaker will be elected when the 18th Congress reopens on July 22. Under Article 6, Section 16 of the 1987 Constitution, a House Speaker is elected through "a majority vote of all its respective members."
President Rodrigo Duterte has endorsed a term-sharing arrangement between Representatives Alan Peter Cayetano (Taguig City) and Lord Allan Velasco (Marinduque), who are both aspiring to become Speaker.
Cayetano was the President's runningmate during the 2016 presidential campaign while Velasco was endorsed as the PDP-Laban bet for Speaker.
Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez, another aspirant, was endorsed by Duterte as House Majority Floor Leader.
With Duterte's endorsement, members of the House are expected to vote for Cayetano, who will serve as Speaker in the first 15 months. Velasco will take over after Cayetano's term "ends".
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, however, said the President has made it clear that the congressmen have the final say on who their Speaker should be.
Panelo said the executive would let the legislative branch exercise its independence in electing their new House Speaker. The Constitution provides separation of powers among the co-equal branches of government, which are the executive, legislative and judicial.
"Ayaw ni Presidenteng makialam. Eh gusto nila, pakialaman niya. Basta si Presidente is just responding to the call for help. Sila, 'di ba? Sila ang pumunta, sila ang nakikiusap na tulungan sila sa pag-resolve," Panelo said.
(The President does not want to interfere. But they want his interference. The President is just responding to the call for help. They are the ones who went to him and asked for his help to resolve the issue on House speakership race.)
"Syempre, they will be electing their own. It's not a question of following the President," he added.
Asked if Palace is optimistic that there will be smooth transition between Cayetano and Velasco should majority of House lawmakers agree to the term-sharing deal, Panelo said: "I think so."
Panelo was also confident that Cayetano and Velasco would work together to push for Duterte's legislative agenda.
"Nag-agree na nga 'yung tatlo. Sila nga ang magkakalaban na nag-agree. They forged unity so how can there be disruption?" Panelo told Palace reporters, when asked if the shared speakership between Cayetano and Velasco could affect the passage of Duterte's priority bills at the House of Representatives.
(The three have already agreed. They are rivals for the House speakership but they have reached an agreement. They forged unity so how can there be disruption?) (Ruth Abbey Gita/SunStar Philippines)