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President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his remarks after a meeting with officials from the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, discussing the impasse in Congress while urging his members to resolve issues over the approval of the national budget for 2021 at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Club House in Malacañang Park, Manila, on October 8, 2020. The meeting was joined by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Eduardo Año and Senator Christopher “Bong ”Go. ALBERTO ALCAIN / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines— President Rodrigo Duterte has called for a special session of Congress to avoid delays in passing the proposed $ 4.5 trillion national budget for 2021, Malacañang said Friday.
“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte today, October 9, has summoned Congress to a special session scheduled for October 13 to 16, 2020, to resume deliberations in Congress on the proposed national budget for 2021 and avoid further delays in its prompt approval, “the president said. spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.
The president also certified next year’s budget legislation as urgent, Roque added.
And in the same proclamation, our President will certify with the utmost urgency the 2021 budget project ”.
On Thursday, the president threatened to intervene and resolve the uproar in the House of Representatives, as the dispute between President Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque representative Lord Allan Velasco is jeopardizing the timely approval of the 2021 national budget.
Duterte also appealed to lawmakers to save him from the public speaking controversy.
Cayetano and his allies on October 6 suddenly moved to end House sessions until November 16 after approving the proposed spending measure for next year on second reading.
With the suspension of the lower house session until November 16 and the budget bill passed only on second reading, the spending bill for 2021 will not reach the Senate before its recess on October 17.
Senators criticized Cayetano’s decision to prematurely put the House in recess, saying this may lead to a renewed budget for 2021.
According to the legislative calendar of the 18th Congress, both houses are scheduled to take a break on October 17 and not before.
KGA
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