Cayetano, Velasco birthdays influenced term-sharing deal

The birthdays of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco were reportedly a factor in the 2019 term-sharing agreement brokered by President Rodrigo Duterte, as both aspired to be Speaker on their respective birthdays.

Cayetano admitted in a privilege speech that he wanted to pass two budgets and celebrate his 50th birthday as Speaker.

President Duterte had repeatedly asked Velasco to let Cayetano stay as Speaker until December to avoid delays in the passage of the proposed P4.5-trillion budget for 2021.

However, Velasco refused this request, leading Cayetano to reiterate the original terms of the "15-21 deal."

The original agreement stipulated that Cayetano would serve as Speaker for the first 15 months of the 18th Congress, followed by Velasco for the remaining 21 months.

Cayetano offered to resign as Speaker at the end of his privilege speech, but 184 of his colleagues rejected his resignation.