Solon to Cayetano on House fiasco: ‘If you are confident in your numbers, why do this?’

MANILA, Philippines — A party-list congressman on Wednesday questioned the validity of the approval on second reading of the national budget for 2021 amid objections from a number of lawmakers, saying this is not indicative of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s confidence in the number of congressmen supportive of his speakership.

“If you are confident in your numbers, why do this?” AAMBIS-OWA Partylist Rep. Sharon Garin said in an interview with ABS-CBN News.

Garin, whose alliance with Cayetano’s political rival, Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco, made her one of the latest casualties in the wrangling for the speakership post, claimed the recent events in the House of Representatives — such as the supposed railroading of the  proposed 2021 budget and the suspension of session until November — was part of Cayetano’s bid to extend his speakership despite the term-sharing agreement.

“Even in our Zoom, maraming trying to unmute and then they cannot unmute so I don’t know—I doubt if talagang tama ‘yung pagkakagawa but that’s the way they play it,” Garin said.

Garin said that the termination of the period of debates on the proposed 2021 budget despite having several government agencies still lined up for the scrutiny of their funding proposal is depriving the public of hearing the discussions.

The lawmaker said the process followed by the House in its unexpected early approval of the proposed budget was “highly irregular.”

“Why cut it short? This is a very important discussion for the Filipino people and also the President because he wants fast but fair and equitable na budget. Pwede palang i-cut lang na anytime ‘yung discussion ng budget which is very important,” Garin said.

Asked if she believed that Cayetano had the period of debates terminated to prevent a possible challenge to his speakership from Velasco’s camp, Garin said: “I think so, yes.”

“Because if you are confident in your numbers, then why do this?” Garin said.

Not yet over for Velasco

Garin nonetheless believed that this is not yet over for Velasco’s speakership bid.

“It’s not over. I personally think this is not over. Many things will still happen in the near and far future and I would advise Congressman Velasco to continue on because this is what the President wanted,” Garin said.

The lawmaker, who accompanied Velasco when Duterte met with him and Cayetano to settle the speakership dispute, said that the President was “clear” in his pronouncement to follow through with the term-sharing agreement.

“If that was the agreement and the suggestion from the President that we have received, then I would defend the President as he is the highest executive that we have and he is the leader of the PDP which is the head party right now,” Garin said.

“With due respect to all the supporters ng iba at ibang speakerables, I am supporting who the President would rather have as Speaker and for me that was clear,” Garin said.

Garin has become one of the latest “casualties” in the speakership row between Cayetano and Velasco when she was stripped of her chairmanship in the House committee on economic affairs.

To recall, during Tuesday’s session, Cayetano moved to terminate the period of debates and amendments on the proposed 2021 budget in a bid to belie Velasco’s claims that he was holding the funding proposal hostage.

With the period of debates and amendments closed, a motion was made to approve the proposed 2021 budget on second reading. The motion was seconded and approved.

Consequently, the session was suspended until November 16, “in accordance with the legislative calendar”, meaning that the session was suspended before the expected speakership showdown between Cayetano and Velasco on October 14 when House members were expected to vote who would sit at the helm of the lower chamber.

EDV