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Palace tells House: 'Do what you want, but pass budget law by December'
Palace tells House: 'Do what you want, but pass budget law by December'
President Duterte is letting members of the House of Representatives settle their leadership issues by themselves but considers it unacceptable if this will delay the passage of the proposed P4.506 trillion for 2021.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the statement in light of the ongoing speakership dispute between House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Representatve Lord Allan Velasco.
(JOEY DALUMPINES / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
In an interview with CNN Philippines, Roque said that President Duterte leaves it to the members of the House of Representatives to choose their leaders.
"Whatever the decision of the members of the House would be, non-negotiable po na kailangan maipasa ang budget on time (It's non-negotiable that the budget should be passed on time) because the budget contains P2.5 trillion of stimulus package which we badly need at a time of the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.
"So now more than ever, the President is not willing to negotiate on the fact that the budget should be passed on time by December," he added.
Roque acknowledged that the House speakership dispute may cause another turmoil in the lower chamber but appealed to them not to jeopardize the timely approval of the budget bill.
"Kung magkagulo naman po sana (If this will cause a turmoil after this will happen) after the budget ," he said.
In 2019, Duterte's supporters asked for his guidance as they failed to settle who among them should lead the Lower House. Duterte advised his supporters to let Alan Peter Cayetano serve first as the House Speaker but he will share his term with Marinduque Representatve Lord Allan Velasco.
Under the deal that Duterte brokered, Cayetano will serve as House Speaker for 15 months before Velasco replaces him and lead the body for the remaining 21 months of the three-year term of House members.
Numbers game
However, Roque said that the House speakership is always a numbers game even though President Duterte brokered the previous gentleman's agreement between the two lawmakers.
"When the President brokered the agreement, the House was not yet organized. It was a new Congress. But after a year and a half, the members of Congress have organized," he said.
The Palace official said President Duterte would not be dictating on members of Congress as members of the House would be in a better position to choose whoever they want.
"They know the qualifications of anyone who wants to lead the chamber and they would have a more resonate voice in the choice of their leaders," Roque added.
He, however, is unsure if the members of the House of Representatives would honor the agreement brokered by the President.
"It (the gentleman's agreement) does not necessarily bind the 300 or so members of Congress. Kaya nga po (That's why), Congressman Allan , by way of advice from the President, better have the numbers, too," Roque said.
"After a year and a half, the members Congress should know better on who is best to lead them," he added.