Senator Panfilo Lacson said on Wednesday that the change in House Speakers affected how the infrastructure budget was allocated among congressional districts under the proposed 2021 national budget.
“Evidently, noticeable ito na ‘yung mga malalapit sa bagong Speaker may mga naka-register na increases at ‘yung malalapit sa dating Speaker, ‘yun ang naka-experience naman ng reduction. So what else can you conclude?” Lacson said in an interview on ANC.
The senator said the district of Camarines Sur Representative LRay Villafuerte received a budget cut even though recent typhoons battered it.
“Na-reduce din ang Camarines Sur because we know LRay Villafuerte is identified with former Speaker Alan Cayetano,” Lacson said.
“Ang mga nadagdagan ‘yung provinces like Albay, Benguet, ‘yan ‘yung mga… because Benguet ang caretaker congressman—namatay ‘yung dating congressman—and the caretaker representative or district representative there is the Appropriations committee chair of the House,” he added.
ACT-CIS party-list Representative Eric Go Yap is the House committee on appropriations chair even when Cayetano is the Speaker. When Velasco took over, Yap was also appointed as vice-chair of the House committee on accounts.
Meanwhile, the P10-billion budget for infrastructure projects in Taguig under former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano remained untouched.
Change in speakership affected infra budget cuts, increase – Lacson
“Pag-submit sa amin ng GAB (general appropriations bill) hindi nagalaw, walang movement ‘yung Taguig, probably out of respect or deference to Cong. Alan Peter,” Lacson said.
Lacson said the way the infrastructure funds were distributed to different districts was “at the very least, improper,” as he noted the huge disparity.
“Makikita natin masyadong malawak, from a high of P15.351 billion to a low of P620 million,” he said.
Yap previously denied Lacson’s claim that alliance to Velasco played a role in the Congress’s budget deliberations.
“Paano naging palakasan? Na kay Speaker Cayetano ako dati, I remained neutral to do my job para hindi ako mabahiran ng pulitika. Hindi ako nakisali sa awayan ng speakership,” he said.
“Ngayon I’m still the appropriations chair, nakita ni Speaker Velasco yung pagiging neutral ko, nagkaroon ng independence ‘yung House pagdating sa budget,” he added.