(UPDATED) With a voice vote on Tuesday, October 6, 2020, the House of Representatives passed on second reading the P4.506-trillion budget bill for 2021.
The measure was passed on second reading after Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano moved to terminate plenary debates on House Bill No. 7727 and moved to create a committee that will deliberate on the proposed committee and individual amendments to the bill.
With the termination of the plenary debates on the budget bill, the House then suspended plenary sessions, nearly two weeks ahead of the schedule for congressional break.
Under the legislative calendar for the second regular session of the 18th Congress, the House is supposed to suspend its session on October 17 yet and go on a break until November 15.
The suspension of plenary sessions means allies of Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco would not be able to make a motion to declare the speakership vacant on October 14.
Cayetano, who had confirmed that he agreed to step down on October 14 to honor a term-sharing agreement with Velasco, insisted in his speech before the plenary Tuesday that President Rodrigo Duterte asked Velasco to agree to a change in leadership at the House in December, after the budget bill is approved.
Cayetano insisted that he was not holding the budget bill hostage.
"I can prove to Congressman Velasco and his cohorts today that I'm not hostaging the budget. Applying Section 55 of our Rules, I move to terminate the period of debate of House Bill No. 7727, otherwise known as the GAB (General Appropriations Bill)," Cayetano said during Tuesday's plenary session.
Section 55 of the House Rules states, "A motion to close the debate on a measure shall be in order after three speeches in favor and two against, or after only one speech in favor and none against: Provided, That within the last 15 days before adjournment, a motion to close debate on a measure shall be in order after two speeches in favor and one against, or after only one speech in favor and none against."
An objection could be heard, but was quickly either drowned out by a motion to second Cayetano's motion or muted.
Before he moved to terminate the debates, Cayetano vowed that his allies in Congress would "work harder and smarter" to produce a relevant and responsive budget for 2021.
Saying the budget proposal did not take into consideration the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, Cayetano asked each member of the House to list the needs of their districts so that they could work on specific projects for each district.
He said he has spoken to members of the Cabinet, who have promised to make themselves available during the congressional break for any discussions regarding their budget proposals.
"We can talk to them (Cabinet) about the real problems of our districts," he said.
He said work on the budget would now be done through small groups that will discuss specific budget items.
"Subukan natin, technical working group style. Wala naman sa Constitution 'yung style eh. Nasa sa atin naman 'yon, nasa Rules naman natin. Subukan natin, dahil pandemic naman," he said.
On Cayetano's motion, the House created a committee that will entertain proposed committee and individual amendments to the budget bill until November 5.
The same committee, which is headed by Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, is authorized to terminate the period of amendment for HB 7727.
Aside from Romualdez, the committee will also be composed by Deputy Speaker Luis Ray Villafuerte, committee on appropriations chairman Eric Yap, Rep. Jonathan Alvarado, committee on banks chairman Junie Cua, Deputy Speaker Henry Oaminal, ways and means committee chairman Joey Salceda, Rep. Stella Quimbo, Rep. Mike Defensor, Rep. Manuel Dalipe, Rep. Teodorico Haresco, Rep. Elpidio Barzaga and Rep. Elenita Buhain.
"All members can continue talking to the Secretaries and use the committee, but until November 5, do'n po isa-submit lahat ng amendments," Cayetano said. (Marites Villamor-Ilano with a report from Jove Moya/VoxPop Philippines)