Cayetano apologizes; Duterte feels duped by speaker, Velasco says
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles asked his former colleagues at the House of Representatives to convene and just pass the proposed ₱4.5-trillion 2021 national budget because the government cannot afford to have any delays.
Nograles made the statement a day after President Duterte broke his silence regarding the speakership row between Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, telling the Lower House to resolve the issue or he will do it himself if their dispute will derail the passage of the budget.
In an interview with CNN Philippines, Roque said Duterte’s message was clear – passing the budget on time is important because the country’s COVID-19 response and other programs depend on it.
“We cannot hostage the budget. We cannot afford any delays in the budget,” he told “The Source” on Friday.
“Ang dami nating kailangan ayusin (There’s a lot for us to fix) not only with regard to our response against COVID-19 but also the problem in terms of poverty, hunger, and jumpstarting the economy,” he added.
Cayetano apologizes
Shortly after President Duterte’s public address on Thursday, expressing his displeasure at the House squabble that has derailed the passage of the budget, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano offered his sincere apologies to the President and guaranteed that the Chief Executive’s fears will be addressed.
“We assure the President that all the actions we have taken are legal, constitutional, and in line with time honored precedents in the House. Neither I nor the other members of Congress will sacrifice the budget in this time for political expediency,” Cayetano said in a press statement issued late Thursday evening.
Duterte feels duped
On the other hand, Velasco, in an interview with ANC’s Headstart, said Duterte was furious over the series of moves made by Cayetano that were aimed at giving the speaker a reason to renege on the commitment he made to Duterte and Velasco during a meeting in Malacañang two weeks ago.
But what apparently broke the camel’s back, as far as Duterte is concerned, was that in Cayetano’s bid to hold on to the speakership, the timely passage of the ₱4.5-trillion national budget for 2021 was threatened.
“Kitang-kita ko ‘yung galit ng Pangulo. Sabi sa akin ni Pangulo, ‘Lord, hindi lang ikaw ang napahiya rito, tayong dalawa. (The President was visibly angry. He told me: ‘Lord, both of us were put to shame),” Velasco said in the TV interview.
Velasco said the President used the Fiilpino term “nadenggoy” or “duped” to describe what Cayetano had done to them.
What House must do now Nograles said what the House of Representatives can do now is just to resume deliberations and pass the budget on third and final reading.
“The long short of it is, I think, I believe, that the House of Representatives should convene and begin again budget deliberations and pass the budget before the break,” Nograles said.
“There is an opportunity to pass the budget as promised and as calendared. There is no reason to go on a break without passing it on third reading,” he added.
Nograles said the suspension of the House session should not have happened because it is not certain that when they resume deliberations on November 16, no further delay will hamper the passage of the budget.
“Even if you say na (that) you pass the budget on third reading, pag resume ng House (when the Lower House resumes session), that is an assumption na walang politicking na mag (no politicking would) come out on that day, November 16,” he said.
“You cannot presume as much. What if something else happens? You can never really predict what will happen on November 16,” he added.
Nograles said the House of Representatives should have stuck to the calendar. “Ideally, you can pass it on third reading. But why take a chance when you can already pass the budget now as prescribed by the legislative calendar?” he said.
Cayetano, this week, made the motion to terminate the period of debates on and amendments to House Bill No. 7727, the proposed 2021 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
Astute political move
Malacañang had described the recent development in the House of Representatives as an “astute political move” as it effectively derailed a supposed turnover of leadership on October 14.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III hopes that members of the House of Representatives will get their act together following President Duterte’s message on Thursday night.
Sotto lauded Duterte for speaking on the leadership feud in the Lower Chamber which resulted in its abrupt approval of the ₱4.506-trillion proposed 2021 budget on second reading and suspension of session ahead of the 18th Congress’ scheduled recess.
Duterte has right to intervene
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 ₱4.5-trillion national budget as his only consideration.
“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 Cayetano to vacate his post despite a gentleman’s agreement with Velasco to split the speakership tenure, with the Marinduque solon taking over for the last half of their three-year term.
This was aggravated by the hasty move of Cayetano in having the proposed 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. (With reports from Vanne Elaine P. Terrazola and Mario B. Casayuran)