NATIONAL BUDGET  ‘DI MADE-DELAY

TIWALA ang Malakanyang na hindi maaantala ang pagpasa sa mga administration priority measures at pambansang budget sa harap ng inanunsiyong term-sharing sa House Speaker’s post.

Sa ginanap na press briefing, sinabi ni Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo na nagkasundo sina Taguig City Congressman Alan Peter Cayetano,  Marinduque Congressman Lord Allan Velasco at Leyte Congressman Martin Romualdez na hindi maaapektuhan ang kanilang mga trabaho sa Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso.

“They forged into unity. So how can there be disruption,” giit ni Panelo.

Noong Lunes ay sinabi ni Pangulong Duterte na kailangan na niyang makialam kung kaya’t inanunsiyo na ang napagkasunduang term-sharing deal nina Cayetano at Velasco.

Magsisilbing House Speaker sa unang 15 buwan si Cayetano at si Velasco naman ang uupong House Speaker sa nala­labing 21 buwan habang si Rep. Martin Romualdez naman ang magiging Majority Floor Leader.

Mariin naman itinanggi ni Pangulong Duterte na nakikialam siya sa Legislative Branch nang magdesisyon sa isyu ng speakership.

“There seems to be a crisis already. Nobody was willing to state with certainty. It’s not really independence. I am not interfering with their legislation work. We’re just talking about the leaders,” sabi ng Pangulo.

“It has nothing to do with the independence of the legislative body. Up to that point, it’s all politics. It’s like that. But interfering in the legislation and in the workings of the Lower House, that’s a different story. That’s entirely a different scenario,” paliwanag pa ng Pangulo.

“You are not interfering because we are choosing only the leaders. Now, when they begin to work and do their task, and you interfere, that’s the time that there is — we can hear the complaints,” dagdag pa ng Pangulo.

Sinabi naman ni Pa­nelo na maituturing namang “Solomonic” ang naging aksiyon ng Pa­ngulong Duterte sa isyu ng speakership na aniya’y tumugon lamang nang hingan ng tulong hinggil sa isyu.

Gayunman, sa kabila ng naunang endorsement nina  presidential children Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio at Davao City Congressman Paolo Duterte para kay Davao City Congressman Isidro Ungab na maging susunod na House Speaker ay hindi naman ito isinama sa listahan ng Pangulong Duterte.

“The fact alone that Mayor Sara as Chairman of HNP (Hugpong ng Pagbabago) and also Cong. Paolo agreed with that suggestion to bring the matter to the President, that includes also Congressman Ungab,” sabi ni Panelo

Ayon pa kay Panelo, sina Cayetano, Velasco at Romualdez ay kumakatawan na sa mayorya ng koalisyon sa Kongreso. EVELYN QUIROZ