Solon questions transparency in House’s next procedure to tackle 2021 budget

AAMBIS-OWA party-list Representative Sharon Garin on Wednesday questioned the transparency in the procedure that Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said the House will be taking to continue discussing the proposed 2021 national budget even during their session break.

In his speech before moving for the termination of period of debates and of amendments for House Bill 7727, or the 2021 General Appropriations Act, on Tuesday, Cayetano said a "folder" will be distributed to each lawmaker where they will indicate the projects that they want to be funded for their constituents, and that these will be discussed during the break.

A small committee composed of 13 lawmakers, most of them allied with Cayetano, has also been created to accept committee and individual amendments to the budget bill.

"Submission of lists of every congressman to determine how much each congressman will get and each district will get for the projects in their districts, but where's the transparency on that?" Garin said in an interview with reporters.

"Natapos nga natin pero hindi malalaman ng bayan kung ano ba yung pinagpapalitan diyan," she added.

Garin on Tuesday was removed as chairperson of the House Committee on Economic Affairs, which she attributes to her alliance with Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco, Cayetano's rival.

She said that normally, once a measure has been approved on second reading, amendments can no longer be entertained, as this "clean copy" is what they will already approve on third reading.

If the House will push through with the procedure that Cayetano announced on Tuesday, Garin said, then they should have done it in the first place to save time and energy.

"We could've done that back then, we should've skipped all the puyatan and the discussions if that is the ethical and proper way to do it," she said.

"I've been here for a decade already and that's always been an issue: transparency, responsive, and timely. And we're only timely kasi ni-cut natin yung discussion. Are we just going to ignore the requirement on transparency as well as having a responsive budget?" she added.

Valenzuela Representative Eric Martinez, who was stripped of his committee chairmanship post, supported Garin's observations.

"My take on that is, bakit pa tayo nagpupuyat? Ang Committee on Appropriations nagpupuyat, plenary nagpupuyat, we see them working hard for the budget hanggang three in the morning," he said.

"Pwede naman pala right from the get-go, pagkatanggap ng budget ng Congress, okay na yan, tapos may supercommittee na lang," he added.

Martinez pointed out that "plenary powers" of each lawmaker should be respected and allow them to scrutinize the budget of each department in the plenary.

"That's not the way to go with the issues of transparency. We have to stick to and respect the individual plenary powers ng mga congressman," he said.

For his part, Buhay party-list Representative Lito Atienza said that with the new process imposed, Cayetano is "taking full control of every step of the procedure."

"Are we children that have to be provided biscuits and candy by our teacher? This is a democracy, this is the halls of Congress. This should be the model of democratic procedures in the country," he said.

"Kung ganyan ang gagawan, o sige maglagay na lang kayo, sumulat kayo ng gusto niyo... E kung hindi ka bigyan ng folder? Yun ngang magsalita ka, he deprives you of that by muting you," he added.

Atienza described the recent moves of Cayetano in the House as "plain and simple political hooliganism."

"He's using gangsterism tactics to get what he wants in Congress. And there are people like me and I know there are many in Congress like who will fight it out," he said.

But contrary to the observation of these lawmakers, Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte maintained that the budget deliberations of the House has been and will remain transparent even with the new procedure.

"In fact, mas transparent nga ngayon because the Speaker has formed a small committee and he has formed more congressmen to attend to other suggestions. Ito lang, hindi na nagde-deliberate," he said.

"Kumbaga one-on-one na, ito ang gusto kong amendment, we want more funds for education, we want more funds for other programs. Kumbaga one-on-one na which makikita naman yan sa public because the GAA (General Appropriations Act) is a public document," he added.

Villafuerte also maintained that there will be no reenacted budget for next year even amid the ongoing speakership row.

"You have to understand the budget was submitted one-month late. It's not the DBM's fault, it's COVID, everybody has to adjust. And despite that, we are committed to pass it on time," he said.

Cayetano on Tuesday said that the House will approve the 2021 GAB on third reading when they go back in session on November 16. — BM, GMA News