Sotto: Filipinos become 'collateral damage' as House intramurals hamper passage of nat'l budget

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday said the Filipino people are the collateral damage in the House squabble as the passage of the P4.5 trillion national budget for 2021 could be delayed.

"Ang collateral damage, ang taumbayan. Political warfare? Sila-sila na lang 'yun, huwag nila kaming idamay. Puro pulitika, gusto ba ng taumbayan 'yun?" Sotto said in a radio interview.

"Huwag ninyo kaming idamay sa political warfare ninyo. Huwag ninyong idamay ang taumbayan. Gawin natin ang trabaho natin," he added.

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday said the Senate should take the blame if there would be a budget impasse, stressing that the early suspension of session in the House would just cause a one-day delay on the final reading of the budget bill in the lower chamber and its transmission to the Senate.

Senator Panfilo Lacson earlier said the abrupt suspension of session in the House on Tuesday is undeniably connected to the speakership issue between Cayetano and Marinduqe Representative Lord Allan Velasco.

With the session suspended, there will be no formal venue for turnover of speakership on October 14—the date Velasco insists Cayetano should step down.

"Whatever it is, huwag nila kaming idamay at huwag nila kaming pagbibintangan na made-delay ang budget dahil sa amin. Hindi, delayed na sila eh. 'Di pa nila sina-submit sa amin [ang budget]," Sotto said.

"Imbes na makipag-usap sa amin at suyuin kami... eh sasabihin kami pa may kasalanan. Aba'y teka muna, lalong mag-iinit ulo ng mga senador," he added.

Sotto was not able to hide his dismay at Cayetano's remark about blaming the Senate.

"Araw-araw, wala naman kaming hinahabol, pero binubusisi namin dahil nga dito sa problema ng pandemic. Tapos ngayon kami may kasalanan? Putcha,"

The Senate leader earlier said senators were really hoping the budget bill would be transmitted before Congress officially goes on break on October 17 so that they can study it during recess and take it up immediately for debates when session resumes on November 16.

One of the latest suggestions to remedy the situation was for the House to resume session for a day to approve the budget on third reading and submit it to the Senate before November 1.—AOL, GMA News