House passes 2021 budget on second reading
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 5:46 p.m.) — The House of Representatives passed Tuesday the proposed P4.5 trillion 2021 budget after Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano (Taguig-Pateros) moved to terminate deliberations on the fiscal plan.
However, the House would be missing its self-imposed deadline to pass the budget on third and final reading on October 14 as the chamber also decided to go on a break earlier, suspending sessions until November 16, 3 p.m.
Cayetano said he moved to end the period of interpellations and amendments to prove that he is not holding the budget hostage to cling to the speakership — an accusation hurled at him by his rival for the top post at the House, Rep. Lord Allan Velasco (Marinduque).
Instead of plenary deliberations, House members in groups of five to 10 can now simply talk directly with Cabinet members to air their concerns about the budget, Cayetano said.
Also in lieu of amendments being proposed in the plenary, individual and committee amendments would instead be collated by a small committee which would submit these amendments to the Committee on Appropriations by November 5.
The members of the small committee are:
- Majority Leader Martin Romualdez (Leyte)
- Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte (Camarines Sur)
- Committee on Appropriations chair Rep. Eric Yap (ACT-CIS party-list)
- Committee on Appropriations vice chairman Rep. Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado (Bulacan)
- Committee on Banks chair Rep. Junie Cua (Quirino)
- Deputy Speaker Henry Oaminal (Misamis Occidental)
- Committee on Ways and Means chair Rep. Joey Salceda (Albay)
- Rep. Stella Quimbo (Marikina)
- Rep. Mike Defensor (Anakalusugan party-list)
- Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe (Zamboanga City)
- Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr. (Aklan)
- Rep. Elipidio Barzaga (Cavite)
- Rep. Elenita Milagros Ermita-Buhain (Batangas)
Cayetano also introduced a way for congressmen to work on their projects together with his office through "personal district reports" and "personal sectoral reports."
"We'll give one to your chief of staff, one to my office, we will fill in the blanks. We will work on your projects during the break," he said. "This paper represents real lives. Every classroom, every teacher, every farm-to-market road, someone will benefit. This is not pork barrel. This is what the people need."
The move to end deliberations on the 2021 budget, however, was met with resistance from some lawmakers on the floor who attempted to object to Cayetano's motion.
"We slam these moves to strip the Filipino people of their chance to scrutinize the proposed 2021 national budget at a time when public funds must be very well-allocated to reflect the need to effectively address the health and economic crises," Kabataan party-list Rep. Sarah Elago said in a statement.
Cayetano, however, assured, without specifying how, that the House will remain committed to make the budget process transparent to the public.
He also stressed that lawmakers will be working harder and smarter to give the people a "relevant, responsive budget you will be proud of."
Session suspended
With sessions suspended until November 16, Cayetano effectively avoided a potential move from Velasco's camp to declare the speakership vacant by October 14 — the supposed end-date for the first half of the term-sharing agreement between them brokered by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2019.
Velasco and his allies have been urging Cayetano to give up the speakership by October 14 to honor the term-sharing deal, wherein the incumbent speaker gets to lead the chamber for 15 months, followed by Velasco for the remaining 21 months of the 18th Congress.
Velasco met with Duterte on Monday evening to seek his blessing to run for speakership. Malacañang said that the president gave Velasco the green light as it is his "right under the agreement between you and Speaker Alan Cayetano."
This marks the first time Velasco met with Duterte separately following his and Cayetano's meeting with the chief executive last Tuesday where they attempted to settle the term-sharing question.
During the meeting, the president insisted that the agreement — which should see Cayetano step down from the helm of the House after 15 months to give way for Velasco's 21-month term — should push through.
However, two different stories emerged from the meeting, with Velasco's camp claiming that Cayetano is set to step down on October 14, while the speaker's camp says that no definitive date was agreed upon.
The Duterte administration is set to submit its penultimate budget proposal for Congress's consideration on Tuesday, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado says.
"We've arranged the submission today after lunch," Avisado says in a text message.
The proposed budget will be worth P4.506 trillion, 9.9% higher than this year's P4.1-trillion outlay. The government says the outlay would prioritize ongoing response to the pandemic. — Prinz Magtulis
President Rodrigo Duterte will sign his administration's penultimate budget on December 28, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque says.
A few weeks ago, both chambers of Congress ratified the 2021 national budget worth P4.5 trillion.
The House of Representatives approves on final reading the extension of validity of Bayanihan 2 until June 30, 2021.
Executive agencies with projects and campaigns under the Bayanihan II law must make sure all programs have been implemented before the legislation lapses on December 19, Sen. Bong Go says in a news release.
The statement came after the Department of Budget and Management said that the law, signed September 11, still has unreleased appropriations.
Bayanihan II, meant to provide resources to assist Filipinos affected by the pandemic, covers a cash-for-work program, economic relief to enterprises and aid the healthcare system. The 2020 General Appropriations Act will similarly lapse within the month.
"Agencies should work overtime to fund and implement provisions in these laws," Go says.
The House of Representatives ratifies the proposed P4.506 trillion national budget for 2021.
Deliberations on the 2021 national budget are still ongoing at the Senate as of writing time.
Once approved by both chambers of Congress, the proposed budget can be sent to President Rodrigo Duterte for signature.
The House ratifies the bicameral conference committee report on the 2021 General Appropriations Bill. pic.twitter.com/vrMdPAWYAy
— House of Representatives of the Philippines (@HouseofRepsPH) December 9, 2020
The bicameral committee on the 2021 budget panel reconvenes today led by Rep. Eric Yap (ACT-CIS partylist) of the House appropriations panel and Sen. Sonny Angara of the Senate's finance panel.
The joint panels are aiming to ratify the P4.5-trillion budget in the afternoon. — Image from the Office of Sen. Angara
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