On Thursday night, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano apologized to President Rodrigo Duterte and the public for “adding anxiety to an already uncertain situation” concerning the possible delay in the 2021 national budget passage.
Cayetano assured the President of the timely passage of the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021 despite the House of Representatives’ leadership row.
“We welcome the President’s stern warning to all parties to stop all the politicking as it could jeopardize the welfare of our fellow citizens at this critical time,” Cayetano said.
“In this, we are not evading any responsibility for our own actions, and would in fact like to sincerely apologize again to the President and the whole nation for adding anxiety to an already uncertain situation,” he added.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered the Congress to fix the passage of the P4.506-trillion 2021 national budget, or he will do it for them as the House speakership row between Speaker Alan Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco continues.
Duterte, in an address Thursday night, also asked Cayetano and Velasco to stop fighting and work together for the timely passage of the national budget for next year.
“If you do not solve the problem, then I will solve the problem for you. Mamili kayo (You choose), either we have the positive development where the people will be satisfied, our masters,” he said.
Cayetano apologizes to Duterte, public over budget woes
“Either you resolve the issue in your impasse and pass the budget legally or constitutionally. Pag hindi ninyo ginawa, ako ang gagawa para sa inyo (If you don’t do it, I will do it for you),” he said.
Cayetano also assured Duterte that the actions the House has taken are “legal, constitutional, and in line with time-honored precedence in the House.”
“Neither I nor the other members of Congress will sacrifice the budget in this critical time, for political expediency,” the Speaker added.
Congress suspended its session on Tuesday until November 16 after approving the second reading for the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021.
The suspension prevented Velasco of supposedly taking over as the new House Speaker if Cayetano would honor their term-sharing agreement brokered by Duterte.