Velasco takes House reins, reopens budget debates. Inquirer Newsletter October 14, 2020

No images? Click here   MAIN ATTRACTION  Tourists have been flocking to Oslob in southern Cebu to interact with whale sharks, the coastal town’s main attraction. While tourism is booming, environmentalists are concerned after a study found that Oslob’s whale sharks, locally known as “butanding,” are harmed by their close contact with fishermen and visitors. —PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE DE NEEF / LAMAVE     News FB to take down Holocaust denials Facebook has announced it would remove content that “distorts or denies” the Holocaust, the latest move in determining the extent of free speech on the world’s biggest social media platform. The company’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, who is Jewish, says that “with the current state of the world, I believe this is the right balance” between what is “acceptable speech” and what is not. —STORY BY KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING Read more: http://philippinedailyinquirerplus.pressreader.com/philippine-daily-inquirer   News Teachers reminded on student ‘burnout’ The Department of Education (DepEd) is appealing to teachers to make some learning module exercises and activities optional to prevent students from experiencing “burnout” due to the overwhelming subject requirements they must accomplish after just one week of remote classes. The Alliance of Concerned Teachers says the DepEd, which published the modules, was responsible for this burden on the students. —STORY BY MEG ADONIS Read more: http://philippinedailyinquirerplus.pressreader.com/philippine-daily-inquirer   Sports Hot start, clutch finish power ROS Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia had little idea how ready his team was for the Philippine Cup. He got an answer right away. Rain or Shine scored the first 16 points—sophomore Jayvee Mocon had 10 of those—and the Elasto Painters held off the defending champion San Miguel Beermen with a clutch Rey Nambatac triple in the end for an 87-83 victory in the PBA Philippine Cup at Angeles University Foundation. —STORY BY DENISON REY A. DALUPANG Read more: http://philippinedailyinquirerplus.pressreader.com/philippine-daily-inquirer   Newsletter / Join us Has this been forwarded by a friend? Subscribe now to the Philippine Daily Inquirer Newsletter and get your latest news and important updates on COVID-19 and the enhanced community quarantine. Subscribe   Register here     Banner story Velasco takes House reins, reopens budget debates By Melvin Gascon Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco on Tuesday officially took over the reins at the House of Representatives, ending weeks of a leadership crisis that has threatened to delay the passage of the P4.5-trillion proposed national budget for 2021. Velasco took the Speaker’s podium shortly before noon, after the majority of House members ratified his election on Monday by an assembly held in a sports club in Quezon City. His election gave him the right to assume the speakership, as stated in a 2019 term-sharing agreement with his predecessor, Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, whose refusal to let go of power caused the crisis. ‘All is well’ President Duterte, who had brokered the deal, summoned Velasco and Cayetano to Malacañang after noon on Tuesday and told them to work together to pass the budget on time, according to Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go. “All is well,” Go, the President’s former longtime aide, told reporters in a Viber message and shared photos of the meeting at the Palace, which took place before the House opened a special session called by Mr. Duterte for the passage of the spending bill. “[The President] is like a father. He spoke with his children. He advised them to unite [like a majority coalition] and pass the budget on time for the Filipino people,” Go said. Last week, the President threatened to step in if the House failed to resolve the leadership row. He did not say what exactly he would do, but later indicated that he wanted Cayetano to give way by allowing the Palace to tell the press that he had told Velasco in a meeting that the Marinduque congressman had the right to seek the speakership, as stated in his term-sharing deal with the Taguig representative. It is believed that the President’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, worked the phones during the weekend to help tilt the House majority toward Velasco. The last indication of Palace support for Velasco was the Radio Television Malacañang broadcast of the closed assembly at Celebrity Sports Plaza, which Cayetano still refused to recognize by questioning Velasco’s support. But his fall became clear on Tuesday morning after 186 members of the 301-strong House voted to ratify Velasco’s election as Speaker the day before. Cayetano later tendered his “irrevocable resignation.” ‘More than 200’ Pampanga Rep. Juan Pablo Bondoc, who acted as majority leader, announced that “more than 200 members” had signified their intention to vote for Velasco but were unable to do so because of coronavirus travel restrictions or connectivity problems for those attending the session online. “But in the interest of truth, we will retain the number 186, which was the number who elected you during the election,” Bondoc said, addressing Velasco. In his speech after taking his oath of office, Velasco took a swipe at Cayetano and his allies, who gave the House the public perception of “putting political expediency above public service.” “This perception has scandalized the nation to a point wherein no less than President Rodrigo Duterte himself was prompted to deliver a wake-up call for this august body to shape up or ship out,” Velasco said. He said he decided to stand his ground to save the budget, the passage of which Cayetano had imperiled by refusing to honor their term-sharing agreement. After sitting for the special session, the House reopened debates on the budget by retracting the approval on second reading declared by the Cayetano leadership last week and proceeding to tackle the appropriations for 14 agencies left hanging after Cayetano suspended the session until Nov. 16 in an attempt to stop Velasco from pursuing their term-sharing deal. Among the agencies whose budgets were not taken up by the Cayetano chamber were the departments of social welfare and development, agrarian reform, transportation, education, tourism, health, foreign affairs, and public works and highways. Budget passed by Friday In a statement, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the President was optimistic that the budget would be passed on third and final reading by the end of the special session on Friday with the resolution of the House leadership crisis. “The President is very optimistic that it will be passed, since the politics has been set aside and they can now concentrate on passing the budget in the House,” he said. Congress goes on a break after Friday. It will return on Nov. 16. Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado also said he expected the House to be able to pass the budget by Friday. “We cannot afford a reenacted budget at this time when we are fighting the pandemic,” Avisado told a televised news briefing. The 2021 budget contains new spending for the government’s coronavirus response. The Department of Health has proposed a budget of P212.4 billion, up from P185.5 billion this year. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the change of leadership in the House would not adversely affect the budget process in his chamber. “All the House has to do is approve the budget on third reading, then print and submit [it] to us,” Sotto said. —WITH REPORTS FROM DJ YAP, MARLON RAMOS, JULIE M. AURELIO AND BEN O. DE VERA   Read more: newsinfo.inquirer.net   Editorial ‘Disinformation, empty promises’ The Philippine government is pleased that, far from undertaking an inquiry into its war on drugs that has raised global concern, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will instead provide "technical assistance and capacity-building" to help President Duterte’s administration ensure that unlawful killings and other rights violations are properly investigated and the perpetrators prosecuted. Malacañang said the resolution expressing the council’s intent was "very much appreciated." The resolution embodies a big step back from the UNHRC’s earlier stance, when High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet flagged the "widespread and systematic" killings in the war on drugs and recommended a wide-ranging investigation.   In welcoming the UNHRC resolution, which the detained Sen. Leila de Lima described as "tantamount to absolving a murderous regime of its crimes against humanity," Mr. Duterte’s spokesperson Harry Roque said the administration was "not perfect" but was prepared to "fully cooperate with the UN human rights system." The Palace should strictly be taken at its word and watched at every turn. But Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has indicated how the cookie will crumble: Manila will not cooperate with Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard and others who, he said, "already prejudged what happened in the Philippines." Read full story: opinion.inquirer.net     Shop now!   Copyright © 2020 PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER, All rights reserved. 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