House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano responded in Facebook Live to Negros Oriental Third District Rep. Arnie Teves and 1-PACMAN Party-list Rep. Mikee Romero who was removed as House Deputy Speaker.
Cayetano revealed that the two solons are allegedly engaged in illegal business.
“May mga kasamahan po tayo … At the right time, I will give them the opportunity to face the accusations because totoo ito (this is true),” Cayetano stated.
“Cong. Arnie Teves and former Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero, malinaw ang Konstitusyon na hindi pwedeng gamitin ang posisyon ng Congressman, lalo kung illegitimate o illegal ‘yung business (Cong. Arnie Teves and former Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero, it is clear in the Constitution that the position of Congressman cannot be used, more so if the business is illegitimate or illegal),” he added.
Romero on Monday evening responded that his business is only an airline company and the allegations of Cayetano are merely “squid tactics.”
Teves earlier questioned the high budget allocation of infrastructure projects in the districts of Speaker Cayetano and his wife Cong. Lani Cayetano. The current house speaker countered the allegation that the 60 percent of Metro Manila’s budget went to Taguig is “completely false”.
He also countered the allegations of Velasco that the 2021 budget is for his “barkada”.
Cayetano ally and Deputy Speaker LRay Villafuerte said “all this lying” will “catch up with them.” He added that they “already have 190 real, actual, living members who have reaffirmed their support for the Speaker, and at least 30 more who have indicated that they will support Speaker Cayetano should it come to a vote following the President’s statement that he will not intervene in the choice of individual members.”
Meanwhile, Buhay Party-list Rep. Lito Atienza said “Alan (Cayetano) has lost a lot of support (following Romero’s removal as deputy speaker).”
The Party-list Coalition said they are dismayed with the removal of Romero since no voting was conducted. – Report from Daniel Manalastas
