No ceasefire on 2020 budget? Sotto says Senate would prefer it
MANILA, Philippines— If the House of Representatives does not want to end the word war, then so be it.
In fact, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said the Senate wants that the people know all the issues surrounding the national budget.
“Alam mo, mas gusto ng mga kababayan natin na walang ceasefire para lumabas ang mga katotohanan at lumitaw ang lahat. Mas gusto namin ‘yun, ” Sotto said in an interview at the Senate.
(You know, our countrymen would prefer that there is no ceasefire so the truth will come out. We’d prefer that.)
“Ano ba pinag-uusapan namin? Ano bang pinag-aawayan nila? Ako nama’y hindi nakikipag-away pero ano ba pinag-aawayan nila? Pera ng taumbayan. Kaya mabuti na siguro wala ng ceasefire para lumitaw lahat,” he pointed out.
(What are we talking about? What are they fighting over? I’m not trying to fight anybody but what are they fighting about? The people’s tax money. So maybe it’s good that there’s ceasefire so everything will come to light.)
Sotto made the remark when sought for comment on House Deputy Speaker Luis Raymond Villafuerte Jr.’s claim there was no ceasefire between the House of Representatives and the Senate.
READ: Villafuerte says no ‘ceasefire’ between House, Senate on 2020 budget
The word war erupted between some congressmen and Senator Panfilo Lacson after the latter disclosed the alleged aborted plan to give all 22 deputy speakers P1.5 billion each and P700 million in the 2020 national budget.
Several House leaders quickly denied the allegation.
Asked about the possible delay of the approval of the budget like what happened in the 2019 budget, Sotto said, “Well, your guess is as good as mine. Let’s see once we receive the budget.”
The House of Representatives has already approved the 2020 budget bill but they have yet to transmit it to the Senate.
READ: House swiftly OKs P4.1-T nat’l budget for 2020 after only a month of debates
The passage of the 2019 had been derailed also due to alleged “pork” insertions of congressmen. /je
