Sunday, September 20, 2020

Budget bill triggers house leadership row. Inquirer Newsletter September 21, 2020

'NEVER LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN' The defunct Sunday Express' front-page and the last stanza of Amado V. Hernandez's famous poem, ``Kung Tuyo na ang Luha mo Aking Bayan,'' are among a host of reminders of martial law that await visitors to the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Museum in Quezon City. JOAN BONDOC

News

Carpio scores move to amend utilities law

Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio warned of a violation of the Constitution and risk to national security should Congress pursue a House measure that would open the telecommunication and transportation sectors to foreign ownership. —STORY BY Dona Z. Pazzibugan

Business

Gov’t willing to ease Naia rehab terms

The government is willing to extend the contract terms for the rehabilitation of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) while the air sector reels from the COVID-19 pandemic, presidential adviser for flagship programs and projects Vivencio B. Dizon said. —STORY BY Ben O. de Vera

World

Trump set to nominate Ginsburg’s replacement

President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would nominate a woman to sit on the US Supreme Court, a move that would tip the court further to the right following the death of liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg. –STORY BY Reuters

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Budget bill triggers house leadership row

Story by DJ Yap

Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte, the President’s son, has threatened to force a change in leadership of the House of Representatives amid grumblings about partisan and inequitable distribution of funds in the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021.

In a Viber message sent to his colleagues on Saturday, the junior congressman from Davao City warned that he would ask the Mindanao bloc to declare the seats of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and 22 deputy speakers vacant during Monday’s session.

Later, in a statement, Duterte confirmed making the threat, calling it “an expression of my personal dismay upon hearing the concerns of my fellow lawmakers.”

But he added that it was up to his colleagues to take action against the House leadership, if they so wished.

Ready for consequences

“If the members of Congress will push for a change in House leadership, as a reaction to their sentiments, obviously I would be among the casualties because I am a deputy speaker. I am ready to accept the consequences,” Duterte said.

He said he would leave the decision to his peers, as he was compromised by his blood ties with President Duterte. “Anything that comes out of my actions or mouth could be construed or manipulated as having the blessing of my father,” he said.

The threat was prompted by disgruntled Mindanao lawmakers who were unhappy about their districts’ share in the 2021 budget.

A screenshot of the message obtained by the Inquirer showed Duterte telling his friend, ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Yap, the House appropriations panel chair, in Filipino: “I had warned you, I was just keeping quiet because the Speaker was no longer talking to me. Now, I’ve been dragged into this.”

Editorial

Dark night‍ of martial law

Filipinos of a certain age make it a ceremony to remember Sept. 21, 1972, for the imposition of martial law, which the dictator Ferdinand Marcos formally announced two days later. Far from being a tedious chore, the yearly commemoration is an act of will to retrieve from the mists of memory a dark era of brutality and resistance..

Read full story: opinion.inquirer.net