Duterte ‘optimistic’ 2021 budget will be passed on time — Palace

MANILA, Philippines — Now that the speakership showdown is over, Malacañang said President Rodrigo Duterte is optimistic that the proposed 2021 national budget will be passed on time.

“Now, the President is very optimistic na maipapasa yan kasi naisantabi na po yung pulitika and they can now concentrate on passing the budget in the House,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing.

(Now, the President is very optimistic that the budget will be passed because politics has been set aside and they can now concentrate on passing the budget in the House. )

“I think the message was really received that the President really needed the urgent passage of the budget,” he added.

Amid squabble over the speakership between newly installed Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, Duterte threatened to step in and resolve the ruckus that was endangering the timely passage of the 2021 national budget.

The President also called for a special session of Congress to avoid delays in passing the budget measure.

But on Monday, Velasco was elected by 186 lawmakers in a session held at an events place in Quezon City.

Cayetano resigned on Tuesday as lawmakers ratified Velasco’s speakership election.

“Our congratulations to the new Speaker of the House, Congressman Lord Allan Velasco, but as I said, that’s a decision of the House of Representatives which the President respects,” Roque said.

“We look forward to working closely with Speaker Lord Allan Velasco because he is also a very close ally of this administration,” he went on.

EDV