Cayetano apologizes to Sotto for 'blaming' Senate for possible budget delay

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday apologized to Senate President Vicente Sotto III for appearing to have passed the blame on to the Senate regarding possible delay or reenactment of the national budget.

In a Facebook live video, Cayetano said he called Sotto this morning to apologize for his statement on Wednesday evening, in which he said the Senate, and not the House of Representatives, is to blame if there is a delay or reenacted budget for next year.

"Sabi ko nga kay Senator Sotto, pasensya ka na kung ganyan ang dating. I apologize kung ganyan ang dating. Pero kung titignan mo yung buong context, hindi ganun ang context," he said.

"Yung context is kung magkakaroon ng reenactment, it won't be on the part of the House because we made sure that one day lang ang pinag-uusapan," he added.

Sotto reacted negatively on Cayetano's statement on Wednesday, saying that his remark is "unacceptable."

"Do not be misled. The HOR has delayed the budget for a whole month. No one can ever blame the Senate for this delay. NEVER!" he said.

Cayetano further clarified what he meant in his statement.

"Ang sinabi ko doon, ang delay is one day. Sinabi ko doon na na-delay nang one month yung submission sa amin, at hindi rin kasalanan ng DBM o executive kasi nagka-COVID. So maraming assumptions ang binago," he said.

"So imbes na sisihin namin ang executive na delayed one month, delayed din kami, binilisan namin. And that's why we made it in time," he added.

Cayetano earlier said that the House will approve the 2021 General Appropriations Bill on November 16, the same day that the chamber goes back in the plenary after suspending its session early last Tuesday.

He believes that the Senate is also working hard on the budget, much like the House of Representatives.

"I'm sure that the Senate will work hard and I extended kay Senator Sotto not only the apologies but yung pakiusap that we make this work," he said.

The Speaker earlier called on the Senate to work with them on the 2021 budget during the break so that there will be lesser contentious issues when it comes to the bicameral conference committee. —KBK, GMA News