ISSUE No. 10 of Pinoy Exposé last July 27, 2020, featured this cartoon and a not-so-very-kind article on House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, where we “predicted” that he is not about to concede the leadership of the House of Congress to Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.
At the time, there was only very little grumbling in the camp of Speaker Cayetano and very much expectation at the camp of Cong. Velasco, what with the ‘term-sharing’ they struck in the presence of Pres. Duterte last year in Malacañang.
For back then, there was still much to be done on the part of Congress, what with the many “priorities” of Malacañang that need to be addressed by our lawmakers and the “deadline” stipulated in that “deal” between the two appears to be is still “so far away.”
That “deadline” is now at hand.
As their ‘term-sharing’ stipulates, Speaker Cayetano would have to “relinquish” his seat of power to Velasco by October 14, or after consuming the 15 months “allotted” to him.
Afterwards and until the Duterte administration bowed out of office on July 2022, it would be Velasco “lording” it over his colleagues at the House for a good period of 22 months.
But “now that the end is near” and Speaker Cayetano is “facing his final curtain,” that little grumbling we are hearing from his camp last July has now turn into a deafening noise of rejection—not by Speaker Alan, excuse me—but by the majority of the members of Congress.
For in a vote that could have brought tears in his eyes and that of Velasco too—184 congressmen rejected his offer of resignation.
For Cayetano, of course, it should be tears of joy that he would be shedding and for Velasco, tears of anguish.
For Cayetano, it would be tears of joy because all his “sacrifices” in the past 15 months that he has been leading the House were fully appreciated and reciprocated by his colleagues as shown by that awesome display of support.
For Velasco, what should he be crying for, really?
If the stinging criticisms he has been receiving from his colleagues are to be the gauge, he is not deserving to lead them.
And yes, his going to social media to express his feeling, rather than squaring off with his fellow lawmakers if only to show that he has leadership quality too by being brave before them is not good for him too.
It shows him to be a wimp. And who wants to be associated with a wimp?
Leadership, in politics, especially, is not a “manna” from heaven that casually falls on your lap because it was promised by God.
Leadership is earned at the end of the day. You have to work for it, as the congressmen would like to remind Velasco in the rebuking words that they threw on him.
And so, if the “vision” that Pinoy Exposé saw last July as regards the term-sharing deal between Speaker Cayetano and Velasco as coming into nothing, it is because the development is so predictable.
Speaker Cayetano had concentrated his time on leading while Velasco abused his time by waiting.
There lies the difference.