Amid 'election' of new Speaker, senators hope House would approve 2021 budget bill soon

Senators can only hope that the "election" of a new Speaker would not affect the passage of the proposed P14.5 trillion national budget for 2021 in the House of Representatives.

Senate Committee on Finance chairperson Sonny Angara said the congressmen's decision on changing leadership is an "internal matter" within the House.

"Walang say ang Senado diyan pero ganun pa din ang request namin na sana maipasa ng third and final reading ang panukalang budget bago mag-recess ang Kongreso. Handa din ang mga senador na mag-special session kung kinakailangan para sa agarang pag-aprub sa budget," Angara said in a message.

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go—a close ally of President Rodrigo Duterte and one of the people whom Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco thanked during a speech after being "elected" by his supporters as new Speaker—deferred taking sides between Velasco and Taguig Representative Alan Peter Cayetano.

"As a Senator, I do not want to meddle in the internal affairs of the House of Representatives, such as the selection of its Speaker," Go said in a statement.

He also appealed to his fellow lawmakers to "set aside political and partisan differences as well as personal ambitions" to pass the national budget on time.

"Pakiusap lang, unahin natin ang kapakanan ng mga taong nagluklok sa 'tin sa pwesto. Magkaisa na tayo, tsaka na 'yang pulitika at ambisyon... Huwag ninyong subukan ang Pangulo. Huwag ninyong antayin pa na he will solve this problem for you," he said.

Senate Committee on Economic Affairs Imee Marcos also did not comment directly on the House speakership row between Cayetano and Velasco. She said the Senate will do everything necessary to approve the national budget on time.

"In the Senate, we are preparing to reschedule sessions as early as November 9, instead of November 16, all set to receive the GAA after the House's third reading," she said in a separate message.

"We are also prepared to meet as soon as the President may call a second special session," she added.

Senator Panfilo Lacson said there will be no reenacted budget if their counterparts in the House would pass the budget on third and final reading this week.

Earlier in the day, Velasco's 186 supporters elected him as the new Speaker in a session outside Batasang Pambansa.

Cayetano said the election that transpired was "fake."

“Ang purpose nila, manggulo. The last time I checked, ang Celebrity Sports Club ay hindi Kongreso. They are throwing the Constitution to waste. Fake session ang ginagawa nila," Cayetano said.

The election of the new Speaker was done ahead of the special session called by Duterte on October 13 to 16.

Last week, as the term-sharing conflict seethes, Cayetano suspended the session in the House without approving the budget on third reading.—AOL, GMA News