Alan Cayetano wants week-long suspension of Senate session

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday urged the Senate to postpone for a week its opening of sessions and budget hearings scheduled on Monday, November 18, to pave the way for the ongoing relief operations for typhoon victims.

“In the light of the widespread destruction and devastation caused by super typhoon ‘Yolanda,’ I urge that the Senate postpone the opening of sessions and budget plenary hearings by at least a week to allow us, our employees, our department secretaries and agencies to focus on the ongoing relief, recovery and rehabilitation efforts,” Cayetano said in a letter to Senate President Franklin Drilon.

“I strongly feel we should not burden our national agencies, their heads, and personnel while they are working hard to alleviate the dire situation of our people in the affected areas at this critical time in the relief and recovery effort,”   he said.

Cayetano said the planned budget hearings starting November 18 will necessarily remove the department heads and their personnel’s focus on the emergency relief operation, particularly those directly involved in relief and rehabilitation.

“At the same time, we also cannot— in the interest of transparency and accountability—review and pass the national budget without the engagement and participation of the critical personnel of national agencies.

He said a suspension of the session and deliberations on the national budget for at least a week would allow everyone to continue with the present relief efforts, including members of the Senate, who also want to help the typhoon victims.

“I believe that we still have  more than enough time, and if needed, will be willing to work day and night to judiciously review and deliberate on the national budget in the weeks ahead and pass the General Appropriations Act on time,” said the senator.

“I believe there is much we can do, as individual senators and as an institution. I hope that the Senate will take this opportunity to demonstrate its solidarity with the rest of the nation by working side by side with those who are trying to provide for our people and by allowing our government’s department officials more time and all the opportunity to focus on providing all the help and assistance to our countrymen who have been ravaged by this terrible disaster,” Cayetano added.

He pointed out the destruction brought about by the typhoon last week, which he said has been “catastrophic” and  “widespread,”  leaving  more than 2,200 people dead and thousands injured.

At present, a total of 6,937, 229 persons have been affected in 41 provinces severely affected by the  typhoon.

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