Lagman: Extend Congress special session to 4 more days

MANILA, Philippines — Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman thinks that President Rodrigo Duterte should “amend his call” to a four-day special session of Congress and extend it to four more days.

In a statement, Lagman said that while he welcomes Duterte’s call for a special session scheduled from Oct. 13 to 16, he said that the “short period” might not assure the second and third passage of the 2021 proposed national budget.

With this, Lagman added that an additional period of four days, from Oct. 19 and 22, is “necessary  in order that the committee and individual amendments to the appropriation measure can be considered and approved by plenary before second reading.”

“More time is required so that the bill for approval on second reading already includes the committee and individual amendments which should be proposed and approved in Plenary session,” Lagman said.

“The long tradition of a ‘small committee’ effecting the amendments after the approval of the budget bill on second reading should be abandoned in order to assure transparency in the proceedings which is not achieved by the furtive conclave of the small panel,” he added.

It was on Friday that Malacañang announced that Duterte has called on for a special session of Congress to avoid delays in the passing of the proposed budget.

Duterte also certified as urgent the legislation of next year’s national budget, Palace spokesman Harry Roque said.

A day before this, Duterte threatened that he will take matters into his own hands and resolve the ruckus at the House of Representative as the speakership tussle between House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco is threatening the timely passage of the budget.

On Oct. 6, Cayetano and his allies suddenly moved to terminate sessions at the House until Nov. 16 after approving on second reading the proposed spending measure for 2021.

With the lower chamber suspending its session until Nov. 16 and the budget bill approved only on second reading, the proposed 2021 spending legislation will not reach the Senate before it goes on break on Oct. 17.

/MUF