Ceasefire declaration should come from Lacson — Villafuerte

The declaration of a ceasefire between the Senate and the House of Representatives over "pork" issues on the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020 should come from Senator Panfilo Lacson himself, Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte said.

In an ambush interview with reporters, Villafuerte said it seems like there was no truce between the two houses of Congress on the budget issue even as Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez have agreed to it.

"Actually, wala namang nangyaring ceasefire dahil pagkasabi ni Senator Migz na may ceasfire noong gabi, noong umaga binanatan ang Congress as an institution," he said.

"Mas maganda siguro kung galing kay Senator Ping na may ceasefire," he added.

Lacson earlier claimed that the House had planned to grant P700 million to as much as P1.5 billion to each member of the House under the proposed P4.1-trillion budget for 2020.

He and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon also reportedly questioned that decision of the House to create a small committee to handle amendments to the 2020 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

But Villafuerte assured Lacson that there is no pork nor illegal insertions in the budget bill approved by the House.

"Yung sinabi ni Senator Ping na he will not stop in fighting pork, kami rin naman, we will fight alongside him against pork. That's why kami, we are very confident na pagpasa ng budget sa Senado, makikita nila line by line walang pork, walang illegal insertion diyan," he said.

Villafuerte also reiterated that there is nothing new in the creation of a small committee for amendments in the budget bill, as this has been the practice at the House since the 8th Congress 30 years ago.

"Ang tanong ko, bakit hindi kinu-question ng Senado? In fact, apat ang incumbent senators ngayon na former congressmen. Dapat siguro tanungin ninyo sila, they are now senators, because there is nothing illegal about it," he said.

"Malinaw naman sa Constitution, sinasabi na both houses, meaning Congress and Senate, can determine their own rules of procedure. So yung small committee na yan has been going on for 30 years," he added.

Villafuerte is optimistic that even if there is conflict between the Senate and the House, the passage of the national budget will not be delayed like what happened in the current year's appropriations.

"Kung last year may mga illegal insertion, na-veto, hindi ibig sabihin gagawin this year. In fact, last year delayed ang transmittal ng budget, this year maaga. So hindi yan," he said.

"I think the Senate will pass this. Kung meron mang hindi pagkakaintindihan, palagay ko maaayos yan," he added. — RSJ, GMA News