One of the rumored strong presidential candidates in 2016, he succumbed to Duterte and ran as his tandem vice president instead. However, he placed third and was defeated. But in exchange for his loyalties, Duterte appointed him as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). As the DFA Secretary, he downplayed the 2016 Hague Ruling which was in favor of the Philippines. Together with Duterte, he chose to take a passive and defeatist stance over the issue, which led to China being more aggressive in our own seas.
In a public event in 2018, Duterte called Cayetano ‘Mr. President,’ possibly revealing his ambitions for a higher position. During the midterm polls, he won as the new Taguig Representative. He is currently vying for the position of Speaker of the House. He claims that he wants to push for the president’s legislative agenda. However, he threatened the administration coalition led by presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte that he will leave the group if Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco will be endorsed as House Speaker instead.
