Personalities within the Philippine Congress Battle for House Speakership
The chamber of the Philippine Congress has witnessed pivotal moments in Philippine political history. (Wikimedia Commons)
Philippine Incumbent Speaker of the House Alan Peter Cayetano narrowly avoided a coup led by Congressman Lord Allan Velasco and Paolo Duterte, son of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, on September 30. The attempted ouster fell short as Cayetano’s feigned offer to resign was rejected by his colleagues in Congress, temporarily securing the former foreign secretary’s hold on the speakership.
The attempted coup stemmed from a 2019 gentleman’s agreement between Cayetano and Velasco, brokered by Duterte. As per the agreement, they were to share the speakership, with Cayetano holding the position for the first 15 months and Velasco for the 21 months afterward.
As October 14—the supposed end of Cayetano’s tenure—approached, calls for his premature resignation intensified. Congressman and son Paolo Duterte, an ally of Velasco, threatened to call on his powerful regional bloc in Congress to declare the speakership post vacant as early as September 21. Velasco and his allies echoed Duterte’s sentiments, leading to spats between members of the Velasco and Cayetano camps. Velasco even went to the President to ask for his blessing, saying he was ready to take on the job.
However, in a dramatic privilege speech to Congress on September 30, Cayetano responded by offering to resign. "I will not be a party to letting the President down,” Cayetano declared. “I am offering my resignation to you—the fate of the leadership of the House is in your hands.”An overwhelming 184 lawmakers rejected Cayetano’s resignation. With only one against and nine abstentions, Cayetano decidedly secured his position, at least until October 14.
The political theatrics ensued in the midst of consequential House deliberations for the 2021 government budget allocation proposal due on October 17. The Speaker wields massive influence on the direction of funds, and members of the house are worried that instability at the top will negatively impact negotiations. “The truth of the matter is,” Philippine Congressman and Vice-Chair of the House Appropriations Committee Paul Daza said in a statement to the Caravel, “most members are worried that a change in leadership will affect their ability to lobby and make sure their issues are addressed.”
Moreover, Daza feels that many House members are confident in Cayetano’s ability to further their interests. “Speaker Cayetano has been very active and sympathetic in helping members deal with their local issues,” he says. “There have been lots of problems with the budget—many members of the House did not want to take a chance [on Velasco] in such an unsure time.”
Others see the situation differently. Paolo Duterte claimed that many legislators “expressed their disappointment and consternation” over the budget to him. In a text calling for Cayetano’s ouster, he accused the Speaker of inequitably appropriating funds: “'Di mamatay ang Mindanao dahil walang budget!” (English Translation: “Mindanao [a region in the Philippines] will not fall even if we don’t get our budgets!")
This is only the latest in a row between the Velasco and Cayetano camps. In March, Cayetano dismissed two of Velasco’s allies from powerful committee chairmanships. Later, Velasco’s supporters responded by directing homophobic insults at Cayetano’s loyalists.
The speakership battle paints another portrait of the nature of Philippine politics. “It’s all about the personalities,” Daza said. “Instead of being active and building strong connections to secure the speakership … Velasco largely banked too much on the gentleman’s agreement.” Daza adds that Cayetano, a formidable figure from a powerful political family, worked hard to build support as Speaker. “He knew his numbers,” Daza concluded, “and he struck while the iron was hot.”