Lame-duck Speaker: Cayetano lost moral authority to lead Lower House – solons

Embattled Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has lost his moral authority to lead the House of Representatives after he messed up in handling the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021.

This was the common observation of some lawmakers, who now want to hold Cayetano accountable for bungling the budget process and putting the entire institution of the House to shame.

“Speaker Cayetano has miserably failed in his duty to lead the House in its mandate to review and pass the budget in the manner provided for in the Constitution and rules of the House,” said Mindoro Oriental Rep. Salvador “Doy” Leachon.

Leachon said it was such a shame that President Rodrigo Duterte had to intervene and call for a special session in order for the House to rectify “major mistakes” made by Cayetano and his handful of allies.

“Nakakahiya sa taumbayan. Bakit kailangan magulo ang budget, ang maraming tao pati na ang Pangulo out of one’s undeterred desire to cling for power when it’s clear that all what is needed to just comply with a gentleman’s agreement,” said Leachon.

According to Leachon, with the recent issuance the Proclamation No. 27 by President Rodrigo Duterte for Congress to convene a special session is a clear indication that the suspension of session for more than a month which Cayetano did last week “did not sit well with him for being unconstitutional.”

“There could be no other interpretation except that the suspension was illegal and unconstitutional especially when the President said that it is incumbent for Congress to pass a budget through a process that is legal and constitutional,” he added.

Last October 6, Cayetano and his clique abruptly terminated plenary deliberations and approved the budget bill on second reading despite pending issues and objections from lawmakers who joined the proceedings via Zoom.

Worse, Cayetano suspended the session until November 16, in an apparent move to prevent any attempts to unseat him on October 14, the date set for the takeover of Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco as Speaker per their term-sharing deal brokered by the President.

Cayetano’s move drew serious concerns from senators, economic managers and the business community, warning it could delay the passage of the spending plan designed to strengthen the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, and that it may lead to a reenacted budget at the start of the year.

The suspension of the House session also did not sit well with Duterte as he called out congressmen not to allow their leadership “impasse” affect the passage of the budget. The President later called for a special session on October 13 until 16.

After all that happened, Cebu City Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa believes Cayetano has already forfeited his right to govern the Lower Chamber.

“Speaker Cayetano has failed in his sworn duty to uphold and defend the Constitution when he caused the railroading of the budget and suspended the session without giving all lawmakers the chance to scrutinize and allocate the budget properly,” Abellanosa said.

“With all due respect, I think the Speaker already lost his moral authority to lead the House,” added Abellanosa.

The Cebuano solon said the only option left for Cayetano is to resign. “Speaker Cayetano, it’s time for you to let go of the House leadership and hand it over to Congressman Velasco in accordance with the term-sharing deal brokered by no less than the President.”

For his part, Deputy Minority Leader and Probinsyano Ako Party-list Rep. Jose “Bonito” Singson Jr. said Cayetano has failed House members and the people they represent in Congress following his mishandling of the 2021 budget.

“Speaker Cayetano has failed the nation and this is all because of his vicious desire to cling to power,” the party-list lawmaker said.

Singson said the ongoing speakership row has exposed Cayetano’s traits that make him a bad leader: selfish, greedy and arrogant.

“Cayetano has shown how power can be addictive that he would do everything to stay in power at the expense of the budget, Congress and the Filipino people,” Singson said. (CMC)

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)