Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said President Duterte is treading on solid ground if he steps in to resolve the House of Representatives speakership issue with the timely passage of the proposed 2021 P4.5-trillion national budget as his only consideration.
(CZAR DANCEL / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
‘’His option is to do whatever is necessary, even taking a 'direct' hand in resolving the speakership issue,’’ Lacson said.
‘’This is one credit I would give to the President. As the leader of the coalition of political parties in the House of Representatives, I don't think there is impropriety if he steps in to resolve the impasse between conflicting groups that are both his allies anyway,’’ Lacson said.
‘’A few calls to the leaders of those coalitions can simplify matters,’’ he added.
The infighting at the House was triggered by the refusal of House Speaker Alan Peter S. Cayetano to vacate his post despite a gentleman’s agreement with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco to split the speakership tenure with Velasco taking over for the last half of their three-year term.
This was aggravated by the hasty move of Cayetano in having the proposed 2021 national budget passed on second reading last Tuesday night and announcing that the House was going on a break, or a week before the scheduled Oct. 15 adjournment for both legislative chambers.
Senate leaders were irritated because they had hoped Cayetano and the House approve the budget on third and final reading on or before Oct. 15 to give the Senate time to prepare to act on the House-approved 2021 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
The gentleman’s agreement was forged in the presence of President Duterte at the start of the 18th Congress in 2019.
Lacson had earlier suggested to Cayetano that he and the congressmen go back to the House to approve the GAB on third and last reading on or before Oct. 15.
Opposition Sen. Francis ‘’Kiko’’N. Pangilinan suggested that the President could call Congress to a special session under the Constitution.
‘’Offhand though, this is a problem between and amongst members of the majority bloc aligned with administration. Wala kaming papel bilang nasa minority sa away nila,’’ he added.
(We have no hand in their fight because we are in the minority)