‘Politics later:’ Cayetano allies want no talk of leadership change in special session

MANILA, Philippines — Budget first. Politics later.

This was the call of House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s allies as they pushed for a special session that is free from talks regarding the power struggle in the lower chamber, saying a leadership change would only disrupt the timely passage of the 2021 national budget.

In an online press briefing on Sunday, Deputy Speaker and Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte said President Rodrigo Duterte’s message was “very clear” when he called for a special session of Congress.

Duterte earlier called for a special session from October 13 to 16 to allow the House of Representatives, which abruptly suspended session on October 6, to approve on final reading the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), which contains the country’s proposed national budget for next year.

“Yung special session is clearly for the deliberation and approval of the budget. Budget first, budget is a priority, politics later and we in the leadership of the House are strongly committed in passing on third reading ‘yung 2021 GAB,” Villafuerte said.

“Kung meron mang naririnig tayo na mga balita, regarding politics and other issues palagay ko naman isasantabi po yan ng members of Congress, malinaw naman po ang instruction ng Presidente: Budget muna,” he added.

Villafuerte recalled what happened during the previous Congress when a leadership change in the House led to a reenacted budget in 2019.

“It (leadership change) will disrupt the budget and it will delay the budget. Even if there’s no change, just the call itself is a disruption. The call for a leadership change is a delay, it will create instability, it will create confusion,” the lawmaker said.

“So if there’s confusion, disruption, definitely delay ‘yan, again, I appeal to our colleagues, put the budget first as a priority,” he added.

Other camp ‘disobeying’ Duterte?

Villafuerte also presented screenshots of supposed Viber messages of Velasco’s supporters in the House. The said messages were pushing for a leadership change during the plenary session on Monday.

But this was not what the President had called for, according to Villafuerte.

“Number one there is no session on Monday, the President called for a special session on October 13, not Monday. So this is disobeying the President. They want to have a plenary session, an illegal session on Monday for the simple purpose of leadership change. E ang utos ng Pangulo budget muna saka na muna yung politika or leadership change so makikita mo, this will totally disrupt whatever focus we have on Tuesday,” he said.

“I suggest that if ever they want to push for a leadership change, they do this anytime after the budget is passed. Kami lahat focus sa budget at sila po ay focused sa leadership change and this will result to a problem. A delay in the budget,” he added.

For his part, Deputy Speaker and Surigao del Sur 1st District Rep. Prospero Pichay, Jr. said “personal ambitions” should be set aside to ensure the timely passage of the budget.

He said the “only reason” the President called for a special session of Congress was to tackle the budget.

“It is really important that we pass the budget 2021 on third reading before we go on recess. That is the only reason why the president called for a special session because we are not living in normal times. We have to address the problem of COVID-19, the pandemic,” Pichay said.

“I hope that we will not be distracted by Intramurals just like what the President said. We have to pass it dahil mahalaga po iyan sa ating mga kababayan. Ang titignan natin yung kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan, hindi yung ating mga personal na ambisyon,” he added.

Anakalusugan Partylist Rep. Mike Defensor shared the views of his colleagues and said that discussions in the lower chamber should be focused on passing the budget once the special session commences.

“Unahin muna yung budget, yung politika iba yan, ibang usapan yan. Kailangan tayong magtrabaho, kailangan ayusin natin yung pondo. Yung pondo na kinakaharap natin para sa ating mga pangangailangan, palakasin ang ating ekonomiya,” Defensor added.

It can be recalled that it was Cayetano and his allies who moved for the abrupt suspension of the House of Representatives, which triggered fears of a delayed passage of the budget.

READ: Budget ‘as good as reenacted’ due to Cayetano’s push for early break – senators

Cayetano and his allies on October 6 suddenly moved to terminate sessions at the House until November 16 without approving the spending bill on final reading.

This unraveled ahead of the anticipated speakership showdown between Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco on October 14.

The President’s call for a special session came after he threatened to step in and resolve the ruckus lower chamber as the speakership squabble between Cayetano and Velasco is endangering the timely passage of the 2021 national budget.

Passive observer

Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Benny Abante said the minority bloc “is one with” the majority in ensuring that the national budget is passed on time.

“Talagang priority dito yung budget and we do not want any political squabbling to be involved in this…Sa amin po sa minority, kailangang kailangan na po ito ng taumbayan, sa amin po sa minority e taumbayan muna bago ang politiko,” Abante said as he welcomed the President’s call for a special session.

“Whatever it might be—tutal ang majority naman ang talagang maguusap niyan—kaing mga taga-minority ay parang passive observer lamang. Pero we would like to ephasize, ito munang budget po muna asikasuhin natin,” he added.

JE