Velasco reopens budget debates on taking over as House speaker

MANILA, Philippines — Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco on Tuesday officially took over the reins at the House of Representatives, ending weeks of a leadership crisis that has threatened to delay the passage of the P4.5-trillion proposed national budget for 2021.

Velasco took the Speaker’s podium shortly before noon, after the majority of House members ratified his election on Monday by an assembly held in a sports club in Quezon City.

His election gave him the right to assume the speakership, as stated in a 2019 term-sharing agreement with his predecessor, Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, whose refusal to let go of power caused the crisis.

‘All is well’

President Duterte, who had brokered the deal, summoned Velasco and Cayetano to Malacañang after noon on Tuesday and told them to work together to pass the budget on time, according to Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go.

“All is well,” Go, the President’s former longtime aide, told reporters in a Viber message and shared photos of the meeting at the Palace, which took place before the House opened a special session called by Mr. Duterte for the passage of the spending bill.

“[The President] is like a father. He spoke with his children. He advised them to unite [like a majority coalition] and pass the budget on time for the Filipino people,” Go said.

Last week, the President threatened to step in if the House failed to resolve the leadership row. He did not say what exactly he would do, but later indicated that he wanted Cayetano to give way by allowing the Palace to tell the press that he had told Velasco in a meeting that the Marinduque congressman had the right to seek the speakership, as stated in his term-sharing deal with the Taguig representative.

It is believed that the President’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, worked the phones during the weekend to help tilt the House majority toward Velasco.

The last indication of Palace support for Velasco was the Radio Television Malacañang broadcast of the closed assembly at Celebrity Sports Plaza, which Cayetano still refused to recognize by questioning Velasco’s support.

But his fall became clear on Tuesday morning after 186 members of the 301-strong House voted to ratify Velasco’s election as Speaker the day before.

Cayetano later tendered his “irrevocable resignation.”

‘More than 200’

Pampanga Rep. Juan Pablo Bondoc, who acted as majority leader, announced that “more than 200 members” had signified their intention to vote for Velasco but were unable to do so because of coronavirus travel restrictions or connectivity problems for those attending the session online.

“But in the interest of truth, we will retain the number 186, which was the number who elected you during the election,” Bondoc said, addressing Velasco.

In his speech after taking his oath of office, Velasco took a swipe at Cayetano and his allies, who gave the House the public perception of “putting political expediency above public service.”

“This perception has scandalized the nation to a point wherein no less than President Rodrigo Duterte himself was prompted to deliver a wake-up call for this august body to shape up or ship out,” Velasco said.

He said he decided to stand his ground to save the budget, the passage of which Cayetano had imperiled by refusing to honor their term-sharing agreement.

After sitting for the special session, the House reopened debates on the budget by retracting the approval on second reading declared by the Cayetano leadership last week and proceeding to tackle the appropriations for 14 agencies left hanging after Cayetano suspended the session until Nov. 16 in an attempt to stop Velasco from pursuing their term-sharing deal.

Among the agencies whose budgets were not taken up by the Cayetano chamber were the departments of social welfare and development, agrarian reform, transportation, education, tourism, health, foreign affairs, and public works and highways.

Budget passed by Friday

In a statement, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the President was optimistic that the budget would be passed on third and final reading by the end of the special session on Friday with the resolution of the House leadership crisis.

“The President is very optimistic that it will be passed, since the politics has been set aside and they can now concentrate on passing the budget in the House,” he said.

Congress goes on a break after Friday. It will return on Nov. 16.

Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado also said he expected the House to be able to pass the budget by Friday.

“We cannot afford a reenacted budget at this time when we are fighting the pandemic,” Avisado told a televised news briefing.

The 2021 budget contains new spending for the government’s coronavirus response. The Department of Health has proposed a budget of P212.4 billion, up from P185.5 billion this year.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the change of leadership in the House would not adversely affect the budget process in his chamber.

“All the House has to do is approve the budget on third reading, then print and submit [it] to us,” Sotto said.

—With reports from DJ Yap, Marlon Ramos, Julie M. Aurelio and Ben O. de Vera