Taguig-Pateros Representative and former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said Congress should have more urgency in ratifying the P5.024-trillion national budget, citing the hike in the proposed government funds for 2022.
"Kasi P5 trillion 'yan tapos almost mga P500 billion yung idagdag sa budget next year," he told DZRH in an interview.
(Because that’s P5 trillion and almost P500 billion is added to the budget next year.)
"I think Congress should have that sense of urgency itong last two minutes," he urged.
(I think Congress should have that sense of urgency in this last two minutes.)
He also cited the upcoming change of administration next year, saying that it will also make use of the budget.
"Take note natin na transition 'to eh. Sa June 30, 2022, iba na pangulo. So we have to think na 'yung budget na to hindi lang para sa administrasyon na to," he said. "Hindi pwedeng madapa."
(Take note that this is a transition. On June 30, 2022, there will be a different president. So we have to think that this budget is not solely for this administration. This cannot stumble.)
The representative, who filed his Certificate of Candidacy for senator in the 2022 polls, criticized some lawmakers for prioritizing e-casinos and online cockfighting instead.
"So I'd really put most of my efforts dito sa budget and then of course sa values, so lahat ng budget kailangan lunan ng pera - eh parang ang tinatrabaho ngayon yung e-casino and isusunod daw sa e-sabong," he said.
(So I’d really put most of my efforts to the budget and then of course on values, so everything in the budget needs to have money – but it looks like they’re working on e-casino and after that they said e-sabong.)
"So alam mo kung panay sugal, ang hirap sabihin sa bata wag magsugal then nakikita niya sa cellphone nagsusugal lahat," the lawmaker added.
(So you know, if all we do is gambling, it will be hard to tell kids to stop gambling and then he’ll see on cellphones that everyone’s doing it.)
He clarified that he is not judging those enjoying the said activities, but he stressed the need to balance needs amid the pandemic and what children see.
"I'm saying na kailangan balansehin talaga ngayong panahon ng pandemic kung ano ang sa mata ng bata ang tama at mali," he stated.
(I’m saying that we need to balance amid the pandemic and what our children see as right or wrong.)
Speaker Lord Allan Velasco assured on Sunday that the 2022 national budget is the top priority of the House of Representatives.
"Our commitment is to ensure that the budget bill, which is focused on getting the Philippines back on the road towards full recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, reaches President (Rodrigo) Duterte’s desk before the yearend," the Speaker said in a statement.
According to Velasco, the House will be "selecting the contingent to the bicameral conference committee" once the Senate is done with its own version of the budget.
With the Senate and House on the same page on the topic of the national budget, Velasco said they "do not see any major stumbling block in having a ratified and enacted 2022 national budget by December."
