'Lump sums' under 2021 budget could've played a factor in House squabble —Lacson

The supposed "lump sum" items in the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021 could have played a factor in the squabble at the House of Representatives related to the speakership row, Senator Panfilo Lacson alleged on Sunday.

In a Dobol B sa News TV interview, Lacson claimed that many lawmakers have asked that the infrastructure allocations for their districts be included in the 2021 National Expenditure Program (NEP) even before it was submitted to Congress.

This, he said, caused the delay in the submission of a detailed listing of infrastructure allocations under the proposed budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

"Kone-konektado 'yan e. Kasi nga lump sum, kaya na-delay. Hindi na naisama sa NEP kasi maraming haggling na nangyari with some legislators. Noong nakapag-submit nang September 7, so ang ginawa ng mga congressmen, sa halip na mag-a-amend pa sila sa floor, ipinasok na nila sa NEP," Lacson said.

"Pero late na nga, September 7, kaya nagka-delay-delay. At nu'ng nagpasok na sila sa NEP, hindi naman lahat nasiyahan. So lahat 'yan kone-konektado 'yan," he added.

Asked further if the distribution of the "lump sum" appropriations could be a factor in the lingering speakership issue, Lacson said: "Oo, magiging factor 'yun. Kasi consolidation ng mga numero 'yan."

Before the speakership row at the House went in full swing, Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. questioned the inequitable distribution of infrastructure funds for legislative districts.

Gabriela Women's Party Representative Arlene Brosas likewise questioned the supposed P397.2 billion "lump sum" funds under the central office of the DPWH.

But DPWH Secretary Mark Villar denied that there are "lump sum" appropriations in their proposed budget for next year.

Deputy Speaker Dan Fernandez, who is allied with Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, has also maintained that the proposed infrastructure allocations did not come from lawmakers themselves, but from DPWH itself.

Cayetano himself consistently said that the House will approve a national budget that is "pork-free, without parked funds, and with no corruption."

Meanwhile, Lacson also questioned the initial move of the House to approve its version of the 2021 General Appropriations Bill on second reading and then creating a small committee of lawmakers to accept individual and committee amendments.

He said that the practice in the Senate is that after a bill has been approved on second reading, amendments can no longer be introduced, and that the clean version of the said bill will be approved on third reading.

"Kung may pagkakaiba doon sa in-approve on second reading at ia-approve sa third reading, malaking problema 'yun," he said.

"Ang nangyari sa House, kaya nagkagulo-gulo at ina-allow nila ito, in-approve nila on second reading pero meron pang small committee na mag-iintroduce ng amendments. 'Yun ang hindi ko maintindihan, 'yun ang hindi sang-ayon sa rules namin," he added.

But Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte earlier said the creation of the small committee has been a practice at the House for "more than two decades."

"It's a practice in the House, kasi 'yung individual amendments ng members, if they give you 10 amendments at 300 congressmen, that's 3,000 amendments. And it's really impossible to do it line by line," he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday called for a special session of Congress from October 13 to 16 “to resume the congressional deliberations on the proposed 2021 national budget and to avoid any further delays on its prompt passage.”

If the House will be able to approve its version of the 2021 GAB by Friday next week, then the Senate will have more time to scrutinize it, Lacson said.

"Kung magreresolba naman sila, of course this is an internal matter na sila lang ang pwedeng mag-resolve, maski pag-usapan nila ang speakership, siguro 'yung isang araw tama na sa kanila 'yun e. So may tatlong araw pa rin para maipasa on third reading 'yung national budget sa version nila. So October 16," he said.

"Sapat na 'yung oras namin nu'n. Kasi pagka sa susunod na linggo, sabihin na nating maipadala nila sa amin nang last week of October, napakaluwag na sa amin nun," Lacson added. 

The House of Representatives decided to hold a weekend caucus on Saturday to ensure  the passage of the proposed 2021 national budget.

During an online caucus with House majority members, Cayetano vowed that the special session called by Duterte will be "very fruitful." —KG, GMA News