Lagot si Lord!!!

NAGBABALA nitong Biyernes ang prominenteng propisor ng University of the Philippines (UP) at mga senador tungkol sa pagka-delay sa pag-apruba sa 2021 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) pati ang pork insertions sa liderato ng bagong House Speaker na si Lord Allan Velasco.

Ito’y matapos ianunsyo ni Senate President Vicente Sotto III na may nagsabi sa kanya “somebody from the House” na ang GAB ay ipadadala sa Senado sa Nobyembre 5 pa, gayung ang inaasahan nilang iskedyul ng pag-apruba nito sa Third and Final Reading ay nitong Biyernes, October 16, huling araw ng Special Session na ipinatawag ni Presidente Rodrigo Duterte.

“That’s the same thing, that’s the same proposal of Speaker Cayetano. If that’s the case it will still be delayed,” sabi ni Sotto sa Senate discussion nitong Huwebes habang tinatalakay ang corporate income tax reform bill na isinagawa via video conference.

Sa kanyang statement, sinabi ni Ranjit Rye, Assistant Professor of Political Science sa UP Diliman, na si Cayetano ay “right all along” sa proposed schedule na kanyang iprinisinta bago siya pinatalsik bilang House Speaker ng kampo ni Velasco.

“Velasco doesn’t have a better plan or new idea about the budget. He just wanted to be Speaker,” sabi ni Rye.

Binigyang-diin ni Rye, isang observer ng Philippine politics na ang kanyang mga pananaw ay pinaniniwalaan ng domestic at foreign media, na walang delay sa ilalim ng proposal ni Cayetano dahil ang National Budget ay sumailalim na sa amendments bago aprubahan ito ng kamara sa Third at Final Reading.

Sinabi pa niyang ito’y “rectify the error” ng nakaraang gawain ng Kongreso sa pagpasa ng budget sa Third Reading bago ito sinusugan.

“The way Congressman Velasco is steering the budget, the House would approve it on Third and Final Reading on Friday and then it will undergo amendments. That’s how they will insert pork and other irregularities in the budget,” sabi ni Rye .

“When Speaker Cayetano moved to end the period of debates on the budget last week, he also moved that it enter into the period of amendments before the House votes on it with finality. That way every lawmaker can see exactly what the budget contains and it would be kept secure from insertions,” dagdag pa ng ginagalang na propisor.

Sinabi ni Rye, dekada nang gumagawa ng polisiya at advocacy work sa Kongreso, na umaasa siyang si Velasco at ang House of Representatives “will now honor their agreement with the Filipino people to pass without delay a pro-people and pork-free national budget.”

“I recall that under Cayetano’s leadership, the House was able to pass a pork-free 2020 National Budget. Let’s hope the current Speaker will do the same,” dagdag niya.

Sa Senate discussion noong Huwebes, nagpahayag ng pangamba si Senador Panfilo Lacson na ang mga miyembro ng House ay maaring magtrabaho sa pagitan pa ng Oktubre 16 hanggang Nobyembre 5 para masusugan ang budget.

“If they will pass it on Third Reading tomorrow (Biyernes), I cannot understand why they would transmit the GAB to us on November 5. Unless may plano na naman silang mag-amend after the Third Reading (they have a plan to amend it after the Third Reading),” sabi ni Lacson.

Gayundin ang sinabi ni Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, ito na raw ang “practice” sa Kamara. “Yes, Senator Ping. (That’s) exactly what they would do. They will pass it on Third Reading on record and then in the process of printing, they will accept amendments from individual members.”