Villafuerte says no ‘ceasefire’ between House, Senate on 2020 budget

House Deputy Speaker for Finance Luis Raymond “L-Ray” Villafuerte Jr. speaks to reporters on Monday, September 30, 2019. Daphne Galvez / INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — There seems to have been no cessation of the ongoing “word war” between the several members of the House of Representatives and the Senate on the 2020 national budget, a House leader said Monday.

House Deputy Speaker Luis Raymond Villafuerte Jr. said that despite the supposed agreement of the House with Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri for a “ceasefire,” the House was still criticized by Senator Panfilo Lacson the next day.

READ: House agreed on ‘pork’ word war truce — Zubiri

He added that it would be better if the initiative for a ceasefire will emanate from Senator Lacson himself.

READ: Lacson refuses to reveal sources on ‘pork’ insertion claims

“Wala namang nangyaring ceasefire dahil pagkasabi ni Senator Migs (Zubiri) na may ceasefire noong gabi, noong umaga binanatan ang Congress as an institution eh,” Villafuerte told reporters in an interview.

(There really is no ongoing ceasefire because after Senator Zubiri on that evening said there was a ceasefire, the following morning, Congress as an institution received another jab.)

READ: Villafuerte breaks ‘ceasefire’, says Lacson maligning congressmen to make Senate look good

“Mas maganda siguro kung galing kay Senator Ping (Lacson) na may ceasefire,” he added.

(Perhaps it would have been better if Senator Ping will be the one to say that there is a ceasefire.)

The word war started when Senator Lacson revealed that there was a plan in the House to allocate P1.5 billion to each House deputy speaker while each member would get P700 million. He later said that the plan did not push through.

READ: Lacson bares plan to give House deputies P1.5B each | Plan to give P1.5 billion to each House deputy scrapped – Lacson

Capiz 2nd District Rep. Fredenil Castro, however, asked Lacson to apologize to the House of Representatives for making statements on the proposed 2020 budget that allegedly damaged the institution’s reputation. He also asked the senator to reveal his sources.

However, Lacson refused to apologize and reveal his sources.

READ: Lacson stands firm, spurns solon’s call for apology over ‘pork’ claims

Villafuerte assured Lacson that the House will also “fight alongside” him against “pork” insertions. /je