Following his ouster as the speaker of the House of Representatives on October 12, Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano was stripped of yet another position in the Lower Chamber.
Before the House suspended its special session early Friday morning, Cayetano was replaced as legislative caretaker of Camarines Sur’s first district by Rizal 1st District Rep. Michael John Duavit.
In September, Cayetano was appointed as the legislative caretaker of the Camarines Sur’s first congressional district after the death from cancer of its congresswoman, Rep. Marissa Andaya, back in July.
In the same month, Sorsogon 1st District Rep. Evelina Escudero was designated as the legislative caretaker of the second congressional district of the province after the death of congresswoman Ditas Ramos after testing positive from Covid-19.
This is not the first time that a congressman was appointed by the House as legislative caretaker upon the death of the sitting representative.
Back in 2017, Kalinga Representative Allen Jesse Mangaoang was named caretaker of the congressional district of Mountain Province after Maximo Dalog Sr, the father of Rep. Dalog Jr. died in June 2017.
However, the same cannot be said in the case of ACT-CIS partylist Rep. Eric Yap, a staunch Duterte ally.
In January 2020, Yap was designated as the legislative caretaker of Benguet after the death of Rep. Nestor Fongwan Sr. on December 18, 2019. However, his appointment was not welcomed by Benguet residents as they demand either Baguio Rep. Marques Go or Mountain Province Rep. Maximo Dalog Jr as caretaker who are considered “neighbors” of the congressional district.
The Benguet Provincial Board has passed a resolution formally requesting Congress to initiate a special election to fill Fongwan’s post. Nothing has been done with the request.
However, this is not the first time that a partylist representative acted as caretaker of a congressional district.
Back in 2013, then Akbayan partylist Rep. Kaka Bag-ao got was appointed caretaker of Dinagat Islands’ congressional district after the House removed its elected representative Ruben Ecleo Jr’s name out of its roster. This was after the Supreme Court affirmed the Sandiganbayan’s conviction of Ecleo graft charges.
On Monday, 186 lawmakers ousted Cayetano as speaker and elected Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco as the speaker in a special session held at the Celebrity Sports Plaza in Quezon City.
Cayetano tendered his “irrevocable resignation” as Speaker the following day via a live video on his official Facebook page at around 11:52 am. However, he was already formally ousted by majority of his colleagues when they ratified Velasco’s election as speaker at a special session at the plenary hall of the House at 11:43am.
Last Wednesday, Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. was removed as deputy speaker of the House of Representatives and replaced by 1-PACMAN Party-list Rep. Mikee Romero, a staunch ally of Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco of Marinduque. Rommel F. Lopez