House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano (File photo)
MANILA – Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has assured the public that the “political noise” surrounding the ongoing leadership row at the House of Representatives will not derail the passage of the proposed PHP4.506 trillion national budget for 2021.
Cayetano said the House leadership remains committed to passing the proposed 2021 national budget, which will be a “vital instrument” in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, particularly in saving lives and livelihoods.
“I’d really want to focus on the budget,” Cayetano said in a radio interview on Monday. “Any talk about leadership, about change, maapektuhan ang budget (will affect the budget [deliberations]). Ayoko po na ang budget ay mahalo sa politika (I don’t want politics to get mixed into the budget hearings).”
Cayetano said there are some members of the House who want to distract the attention of the lawmakers and disrupt the swift passage of the proposed national budget for next year.
“So meron po iilan, isa na po diyan si Congressman Teves, na nang-intriga na medyo bulabugin ang Kongreso (There are a few, one of them being [Negros Oriental 3rd District] Congressman [Arnie] Teves, who are sowing intrigues in order to foment chaos in Congress),” he said.
Last week, Teves questioned the supposedly massive allocations for Taguig City and Camarines Sur, the legislative districts of Cayetano, and Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte.
Teves said it was unfair for some cities and provinces to get more funds than others that have the ability to spend the money allotted to them.
On the other hand, Villafuerte accused Teves of being a “hatchet man” of the camp of Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco in an alleged bid to derail the passage of the 2021 budget under Cayetano’s term as speaker.
Cayetano, during the same interview, reminded his colleagues that the proposed 2021 national budget should not be about how much each district will receive but how the amount will be used to respond to the effects of Covid-19 and accelerate economic recovery.
“So actually yung tinitingnan namin ngayon hindi yung amount, yung priority. Kasi last year wala naman tayong problema sa ekonomiya (So actually what we are looking at is not the amount but the priorities. Last year we did not have any problems with our economy),” Cayetano said.
“Last year, maraming may trabaho. Last year, hindi problema ang Covid. So hindi lang magkano mapupunta sa ilang lugar pero paano gagamitin yung pera para labanan ang Covid at magkatrabaho ang tao (Last year people had jobs. Last year, Covid was not a problem. So it’s not a matter of how much will go to specific places but how that money will be used to fight Covid so that people can start working again),” he added.
Cayetano said the House leadership is working with the lawmakers to ensure equitable allocations per district, especially those severely affected by the pandemic.
He, however, challenged those who are trying to unseat him from the speakership post to prove that the majority of House members do not want him to continue serving at the helm of the lower chamber.
“Ipakita niyo lang sa akin na ang majority ay ayaw na sa akin at magiging smooth ang transition natin. Pero hindi niyo po ako maba-blackmail, maha-hijack na payagan po ang corruption, payagan ang pork, payagan po ang favoritism o sabihin niyo dahil bente kayo o trenta kayo, lakihan yung pondo niyo, hindi po (Just show me that the majority does not want me and the transition will be smooth. But you cannot blackmail me or hijack the situation so that I will agree to corruption, pork, favoritism, or increase your funds),” he said.
In an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel, Villafuerte said the supermajority of congressmen wants Cayetano to continue instead of letting Velasco take over.
Villafuerte believes that Velasco will not be able to put up a good fight against Cayetano since he was "never really active in Congress."
“I haven’t seen or heard Congressman Lord be active in any major issue. We don’t see him in Congress. It was really his choice not to be the presumptive speaker. The congressmen now are saying we’d rather let Speaker Alan continue because he’s active, he performs, he’s qualified, these are the general sentiments of congressmen,” Villafuerte said.
Under the term-sharing deal brokered by Duterte, Cayetano would serve as the House Speaker for the first 15 months or until October 2020, while Velasco would take over and assume the position for the remaining 21 months or until the 18th Congress ends in 2022. (PNA)
