Eric Yap says he's 'neutral' in Cayetano-Velasco speakership row

House appropriations panel chair Eric Yap on Thursday said he has to remain "neutral" on the speakership row at the House of Representatives so that he could focus on the deliberations of the proposed 2021 national budget.

In a television interview, Yap admitted that he is one of the nine lawmakers who abstained from voting on Wednesday whether or not to reject Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano's offer to resign despite expressing support to him earlier.

"I express support to the Speaker because he is now the Speaker and I respect the institution. So bilang Speaker, ginagalang ko siya and sinusundan ko siya. Pero pagdating sa magkakaroon ng botohan, I will abstain dahil ngayon ay budget season," he told ANC.

"Bilang chairman ng Appropriations, siguro ito ang pinakatama kong gawin na huwag makisali sa gulo ng speakership issue at instead mag-focus sa budget. Kung ako makikisali, kawawa ang taumbayan. Walang mag-aalaga, walang tututok sa budget ng ating bansa," he added.

Yap also said he is ready to work with whoever will sit as Speaker in the coming months.

"I have to stand up for our people. I have to be neutral. I have to do what I have to do because this is the budget season, and bilang appropriations chair, malaki yung responsibility na nakaatang sa akin," he said.

"At kung ako ay mamumulitika pa, makikisali sa awayan ng left and right, kawawa yung mga taong bumoto sa akin and I will let the Filipino people down," Yap added.

Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte, in an interview on Wednesday, claimed that several chairmen of House committees, including Yap, would be replaced once Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco takes over the speakership.

Oriental Mindoro Representative Salvador Leachon, who is allied with Velasco, refuted this, saying that Velasco had agreed that there will be no change in leaderships at the House except for the Speaker.

Nevertheless, Yap said he is ready to be replaced as chair of the appropriations committee if the Speaker says so.

"Kahit naman si Speaker Cayetano, anytime pwede niyang sabihin na, 'Cong. Yap, you are out. I want this to be the new chairman of appropriations.' I will respect that too kasi I follow the institution and the Speaker is my boss. Kung sino ang maging Speaker, yun ang susundan ko," he said.

Photo controversy

Amid the speakership row, Yap last weekend posted a photo on Instagram of Cayetano meeting with Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte.

Despite earlier being reported to be in Davao City, as seen in the location tag of the photos, Yap, in the same ANC interview, clarified that the meeting actually took place in a hotel in Manila.

"Sa Manila lang siya nangyari, sa isang hotel. But that's more on nagkwentuhan lang kami about COVID-19. How can we help the people to survive COVID-19? And then after COVID-19 pandemic, let's say nagka-vaccine na, how we can continue our lives. What can Congress do to help the people after COVID-19? And then more on personal life," he said.

Yap, however, did not name the hotel and said he also cannot recall the specific date when the meeting took place.

"Yung hotel hindi ko masabi kasi walang pangalan yung hotel e, closed yun. Sa date naman I'm not good at dates, pero I assume that was last week," he said. —KBK, GMA News