On his birthday, Cayetano is wishing for twins

For his 49th birthday, Speaker Alan Cayetano is wishing for twins for him and his wife, Taguig Representative Lani Cayetano even as he expressed readiness to be the Speaker for a longer time.

"We are praying for twins, soon," Cayetano told reporters on Monday, his birthday.

"That is why with or without the 15 months, baka iyon ang pagkakataon na masolo ko siya at masolo niya ako," he added.

Cayetano was referring to the term sharing on the Speakership that the House of Representatives agreed on where Cayetano would serve as a Speaker for 15 months before yielding the post to Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco.

Cayetano has said he is honoring the agreement unless Velasco would want him to continue.

Leadership quality

"Am I open to the possibility? Kung si Congressman Velasco mismo ang magsabi sa akin, ikaw na lang, alangan namang pilitin ko pa siya. We believe in our own leadership because how can other believe in my leadership if I don’t even believe in my leadership?” Cayetano said.

“Having said that, may leadership rin iyong tao (Velasco), may following rin ‘yung tao. Miyembro rin siya ng partido ng ating Pangulo, [at] nirerespeto ko iyon,” he added.

Velasco is a member of the ruling PDP-Laban party chaired by President Rodrigo Duterte. Cayetano, on the other hand, comes from Nacionalista Party.

Cayetano, however, served as the running mate of then PDP-Laban Presidential candidate Duterte during the 2016 polls.

The Speaker, however, maintained that the transition in leadership is not his preoccupation since he is focused more on getting his job done.

“Ayokong isipin na merong pagbabago sa usapan. Mas productive rin ako kung iisipin ko na on the 15th month, I have to say I have done my job. The question will then be, did I do it well or not? Kaya doon muna ako nagfo-focus,” Cayetano said. —KBK, GMA News