Duterte warns he’ll intercede if squabble threatens budget

Philippine president warned Thursday he will intercede and resolve a leership row in House of Representatives if impasse threatens to stall pass of next year’s budget during coronavirus crisis.

President Rodrigo Duterte did t elaborate on what he would do if House Speaker Alan Peter Cayeta and Rep. Lord Allan Velasco fail to end ir rivalry over leership of 300-member legislative chamber. Duterte appeared on TV to air his warning with top military and police officials behind him.

“Eir you resolve issue on your impasse re and pass budget legally and constitutionally and if you don’t do it, I’ll do it for you,” Duterte said.

“Think of Filipis who are in hospital and need medicine and those who may die at this time without medicine, without anything,” Duterte said, ding he should t be dragged into leership squabble.

Velasco said he should assume speakership by Oct. 14 under a power-sharing deal brokered by Duterte. But Cayeta demanded that Velasco prove he has backing of most legislators, n abruptly allowed suspension of congressional sessions until v. 16, pre-empting any attempt to wrest control of Congress from him.

Cayeta’s camp steered initial approval of proposed 2021 national budget amounting to 4.5 trillion pesos ($90 billion), n anunced congressional break. Several lawmakers protested that y were deprived of ir right to scrutinize budget and called for an immediate resumption of congressional sessions.

Opposition Rep. Edcel Lagman said deliberations on proposed budgets for Department of Health and or ncies have t been concluded and were overrun by leership squabble.

Philippines has reported highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in Souast Asia at more than 331,000, with more than 6,000 deaths.

Duterte has realigned budgets from defense department and or ncies and resorted to borrowing to finance massive efforts to dress pandemic and provide aid to millions of people displaced by months of lockdowns and quarantine.

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