ACT-Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro has urged House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco to rationalize the tasks of the growing number of deputy speakers to speed up work in the House of Representatives.
"It's the prerogative of the Speaker and the House leadership to add to the number of deputy speakers," said Castro, an assistant minority leader.
Castro said it is important that the deputy speakers can speed up work in the 300-member chamber.
"Hopefully ma-rationalize ang functions ng mga deputy speakers para maging more effective ang mga work namin sa HOR lalo na ‘yung pagpapabilis at facilitate ng mga bills na nakahain. More than 8,000 na ang mga bills at resolution na naka-file (Hopefully the functions of the deputy speakers would be rationalized in order to make our work more effective especially in facilitating filed bills. There are now over 8,000 bills and resolutions filed)," she said.
Velasco took over as speaker from Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano last Oct. 13. In the following months, he has designated allies to coveted posts in the House such as committee chairmanships and the deputy speaker's post.
One of the recent appointees, Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, said he expects Velasco to delegate tasks soon.
"The other deputy speakers have just been appointed. I am sure the Speaker will be giving us specific tasks," Rodriguez said.
The number of deputy speakers in the house suddenly increased from 22 to 29 under Velasco.
The number of deputy speakers began to balloon in the 17th Congress – from just six in the 16th Congress, to 14 the next.
Cayetano appointed 22 solons for the position during his 15-month tenure as speaker, which began at the start of the current 18th Congress in July 2019.
Prof. Jean Franco of the UP Political Science Department had earlier said that the appointment of numerous deputy speakers would require additional budget for hiring of their staff and operations of their offices.
“(Aside from) the regular office budget for a congressman, the deputy speaker also enjoys a separate budget with at least six staff and travel perks and allowances,” said Franco.
Based on a 2017 report of the Commission on Audit, the government spent P4.89 billion for the expenses of 14 deputy speakers. The amount is expected to double with the appointment of the additional deputy speakers.