Duterte: Toss coin, term sharing proposed to break speakership impasse
President Rodrigo Duterte had proposed toss coin to break the impasse on the speakership issue at the House of Representatives.
In an interview with reporters in Malacanang on Thursday night, Duterte said the issue of term sharing was brought up.
"I said, 'Just to break the impasse, let us have this formula. How about a toss coin? Do you agree?' They didn't like it," Duterte recalled what he told to those vying for the speakership.
They are Taguig City Representative-elect Alan Peter Cayetano, Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez.
There was also a point Duterte suggested to Cayetano and Velasco to have term sharing.
"This was what I told them. Share the term. Cayetano wanted to assume first. But he will stay there just for 15 months. That's what he committed. Velasco can have the --- the other half, which is not really as short as --- 21 months," he said.
"That was the proposal. Cayetano already agreed but Velasco, apparently he backed out at the last minute," the President added.
Since nothing was reached, he told the four to just fight with each other for the speakership.
"I will not help anybody," he said.
Early this week, Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao said that Duterte's PDP-Laban political party is endorsing Velasco as the Speaker of the incoming 18th Congress. Celerina Monte/DMS
