President Rodrigo Duterte said he would not meddle in the term-sharing agreement on the House speakership between Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.

Duterte made the statement during his attendance at the joint birthday celebration of Velasco and his wife, Rowena, in a restaurant in San Juan City on Monday.

"I’m not forcing anybody to take a stand," Duterte said.

"It’s your choice because the agreement and the choice is yours. Cause you can make or unmake the Speaker," he added.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that it was Duterte's stance ever since that he would not interfere in the congressional affairs unless he was asked for his advice.

"He is not meddling in things like that unless his advice is sought," he said.

Asked if it was also possible that Cayetano and Velasco's term sharing agreement would not materialize, Panelo said, "You get your conclusion from what he (Duterte) said. I think his statements are clear enough."

Last July, Duterte brokered in resolving the speakership issued in the House of Representatives.

It was agreed that Cayetanbo would serve as the Speaker for first 15 months of the 18th Congress and Velasco to assume the post for the remaining 21 months.

In the same birthday event, a Malacanang statement reiterated Duterte's opposition for his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, to run for president in the 2022 elections.

"Considering the rigors of being the country’s chief executive, the President said he does not want his daughter, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, to vie for the top post," a Palace statement said.

But it said Duterte assured his political allies during the occasion that he would throw his support to any politician who plans to run for the presidency in 2022. Celerina Monte/DMS