Alvarez clarifies ‘zero budget’ threat vs. provinces against federalism

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Monday clarified his supposed threat of giving "zero budget" to provinces who do not support the shift to federalism, saying that it was only a "joke."

In a television interview, Alvarez said that in speeches, like the one he delivered during the oath-taking ceremony for new PDP-Laban members in Pototan, Iloilo last week, and where his supposed threat was a part of, humor is somehow needed.

“Alam mo iyong pag nag-speech ka, kailangan mo ng kaunting biro-biro, di ba? Iyon lang naman iyon. Ewan ko ba bakit sineryoso nila,” he said.

In his speech during the PDP-Laban event, it appeared that Alvarez threatened to give "zero budget" to provinces unsupportive of federalism.

"Siyempre, yung ibang probinsya ayaw nilang makisama, o ‘di zero sa budget. Ayaw ko din, hindi ba? Alangan namang kayo kasama, yung leaders nila ayaw sumama. Alangan namang pantay?" he said during the speech.

"Ako naman, hindi namimilit. Kung ayaw niyong sumama, okay. Ginagalang ko ‘yun, karapatan niyo yun pero ang sabi ko nga, igalang niyo rin ang karapatan ko para ma-zero kayo sa budget, ‘di ba?" he added.

But in the interview, Alvarez clarified that he was only joking.

“Nagbibiro lang ako na, alam ninyo nagpapasalamat ako na sumali sila doon sa partido at nagpapasalamat din ako na iyong kanilang mga representatives ay nasa majority kaya nga hindi sila makakakuha ng zero budget, di ba? Hindi naman seryoso iyon,” he said.

Alvarez even said the supposed threats were only "empty words," as the decision to give zero budget does not solely depend to the House of Representative but also to the Senate.

“Papaano ka naman mag tre-threaten kung alam mo naman na hindi talaga magagawa?” he said.

The Speaker, however, said it is a different matter with respect to the House, as the leadership can scrap budget for lawmakers against Charter change for federalism.

He pointed out that scrapping budget was also done in the past Congresses but in a different manner: the opposition lawmakers were provided funding but the administration would hold the release of funds.

"Ako nagiging prangka lang ako, di ba? Kung wala, wala. Pero iyong para ilagay mo diyan ang nangyayari noon, ilagay nila iyong budget diyan iwi-withhold nila iyong release, hino-hostage nila iyong politiko. O ito iyong budget mo, di ba. Pag hindi ka sumali sa amin, hindi namin ire-release. So napipilitan. Dito palang antimano hindi ko pinipilit. Kung ayaw mo sumali, okay. I would respect your decision," he said.

Alvarez maintained that if opposition lawmakers would still refuse to join the administration in the move to federalism, he would respect their decision but they have to face the consequences.

“Pero, hindi ko iniipit (ang budget). Sinasabi ko lang na o di ba, bakit kita bibigyan? Kumbaga sa ano, prangkahan lang tayo. Hindi kita pinapaasa, hindi kita pini-pressure,” he said.

The Duterte administration has been pushing for a shift to a federal form of government as a means to address issues particularly in strife-torn Mindanao.

In an earlier interview, Alvarez said that if Congress decides to convene in a constituent assembly to propose amendments to the Constitution this month, the proposed new federal charter may be submitted for a referendum simultaneously with the scheduled Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections this May. — RSJ, GMA News