MANILA, Philippines — It was the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) that caused the “downfall” of former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, a lawmaker said Wednesday.
During House plenary deliberations on the proposed 2021 budget of DPWH, Cebu City 2nd Dist. Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa once again brought up the alleged “inequitable” allocation of infrastructure funds among legislators of the lower chamber.
Abellanosa showed a video of flooding in Cebu City which, he said, highlights the city’s “dire need of the much-needed support” for infrastructure improvements through DPWH.
Abellanosa then poked at Cayetano and his close allies by comparing the allocated infrastructure funds for the two districts of Cebu City from those earmarked to the congressional districts of the Taguig-Pateros congressman and his supporters at the House.
“Let us not also forget that it is because of the budget of DPWH that caused the downfall of the former Speaker and the issues surrounding … the close associates and allies of the former Speaker,” he pointed out.
The lawmaker even underscored that while Cayetano and his close allies were “wallowing in tens of billions of DPWH allocations for their districts,” the two districts of Cebu City were only accorded less than half a billion each.
This, despite Cebu City’s “substantial” contribution to the national wealth, said Abellanosa.
“Compare this with what we have heard about the P11 billion for Camarines Sur through the courtesy, through the clout of former Deputy Speaker LRay Villafuerte. Compare this to the reported P8 billion for Taguig courtesy, through the clout of the former Speaker Cayetano,” he said.
Abellanosa also lamented the P500 million that the DPWH “generously accommodated” for the construction of the capitol building of Camarines Sur as well as the P250 million for the sports complex in the said province.
“Para bagang ang katapat lang ng budget ng Cebu City ay capitol building at sports complex lang ng CamSur,” Abellanosa said.
The Cebu City lawmaker said this was “a big insult and an utter affront not just to the City of Cebu but most importantly to the people of the City of Cebu.”
Likewise, Abellanosa issued a warning to DPWH Secretary Mark Villar.
“If the issue on the inequitable, unequal, unfair allocation of the DPWH budget has caused the downfall of the former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, for all we know, this might become also the cause of the political downfall—hope it won’t—of our very good friend, Sec. Mark Villar.
So may I just remind DPWH, it is your primary duty to help ensure that public infrastructures are necessary [for] national productivity. And it should be made sure that these are in place, well-maintained and in tip-top shape all the time,” he added.
Abellanosa ended his manifestation during the House special session by calling on his colleagues to “rectify” the “abuses” that may have been committed in the proposed P4.5 trillion national budget for 2021.
“We still have the time. While we are rushing to complete, to finish this budget for 2021, we beg that justice be given to our districts, the second district of the City of Cebu as well as the first district of Cebu City,” Abellanosa said.
Root of ruin
The speakership squabble seemed to have resurfaced during deliberations on the DPWH’s 2021 budget before the House committee on appropriations in September.
In that hearing, Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. questioned the distribution of infrastructure funds between congressional districts, particularly those allocated for the districts of Cayetano and Villafuerte in Taguig City and Camarines Sur, respectively.
The arguments over the proposed 2021 national budget have led many to suspect if it is related to the looming speakership changeover from Cayetano to Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.
Teves, however, had denied that his line of questioning was related to the speakership row.
Meanwhile, Cayetano had also denied claims that his “friends” in the lower chamber received more funds in the proposed 2021 budget.
According to Cayetano, looking at the congressmen of the 10 congressional districts with the highest budget allocation in the proposed 2021 budget, seven of them are not “super close” to him.
On Monday, 186 lawmakers ousted Cayetano from the speakership and elected Velasco as the new top leader of the House of Representatives. Majority of the legislators ratified Velasco’s win the following day leading to Cayetano’s resignation as Speaker.