URGENT House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano offers to resign

September 30, 2020

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has offered to resign on Wednesday after a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.

''I'm offering my resignation, here and now, to you, my dear colleagues. The fate of the budget lies in your hands,'' said Cayetano in a speech at the House of Representatives.

''This may be my last speech as Speaker,'' said Cayetano.

On Tuesday night, Cayetano said Duterte asked Velasco to wait until December before taking over as speaker. Cayetano said Velasco told Duterte that he would assume the post on October 14.

Under a term-sharing agreement, Cayetano will serve as speaker from 2019 to 2020 and Velasco will then take over. DMS