Cayetano to Senate leaders: Reorder priorities, put the national budget first
Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday urged the Senate leadership to reconsider the schedule of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial and prioritize deliberations on the national budget, warning that rushing the trial and pushing the plenary budget deliberations to the end of November can worsen the country’s economic challenges.
“Given the Super El Niño, given the financial challenges of the world and the volatility of oil prices, the US-Iran war, if we’re going to start discussing the budget on the 23rd (of November) or after that, that may really take its toll on us. And we won’t feel that until next year,” the Minority Leader said during the 39th day of the trial on October 13.
This came after Presiding Officer Francis Escudero announced that the impeachment trial will resume next month, with full-day trials being held on November 10, 12, 13, 19, and 20.
Committee-level budget hearings, already put on hold for two weeks as the Senate devoted full days to the impeachment trial, resume on October 14, while plenary deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget are now expected to begin in late November instead of the earlier-targeted November 9.
Cayetano said he is “not convinced” that the impeachment trial should take precedence, pointing out that starting the budget plenary deliberations by the third week of November would amount to three weeks of delay.
He said while impeachment is an important accountability mechanism, the Senate should first focus on passing the national budget amid the country’s continuing economic crisis.
“May Super El Niño. Hindi pa tapos y’ung flood control investigation… We’re in an economic crisis, not only because of our own doing, but the whole world. All of us here legislators share all these concerns,” he said.
Addressing the prosecution’s formal withdrawal of Articles I, III, and IV of the impeachment complaint against Duterte to expedite the trial, preserve government resources and the public’s time, and allow the Senate to fulfill its regular legislative duties, Cayetano said there is no need to rush because there is no deadline to complete the proceedings.
He said the Senate Impeachment Court is in fact free to temporarily suspend the trial to make way for budget deliberations and resume it after completing work on the national budget.
“We can take a break tomorrow and focus on the budget… Kung ako masusunod, unahin natin y’ung budget,” he said.
Cayetano appealed to the Senate President, the Presiding Officer, and the Majority Leader to reconsider the schedule and give priority to the national budget.
“Priorities are priorities. Priority dapat y’ung budget. The budget is not just passing it… So maybe I can just lay this at your feet and [you can] take it under advisement,” he said.
Filipino Version
Cayetano: Ayusin ang prayoridad ng Senado, unahin ang pambansang budget
Hinimok ni Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano nitong Martes ang pamunuan ng Senado na muling pag-aralan ang schedule ng impeachment trial ni Vice President Sara Duterte at unahin ang pagtalakay sa pambansang budget.
Babala niya, maaaring lumala ang mga problemang pang-ekonomiya ng bansa kung mamadaliin ang trial at maurong sa huling bahagi ng Nobyembre ang plenary budget deliberations.
“Given the Super El Niño, given the financial challenges of the world and the volatility of oil prices, the US-Iran war, if we’re going to start discussing the budget on the 23rd (of November) or after that, that may really take its toll on us. And we won’t feel that until next year,” wika ni Cayetano sa ika-39 na araw ng paglilitis noong October 13, ang huling araw ng trial para sa nasabing buwan.
Kasunod ito ng pahayag ni Presiding Officer Francis Escudero na itutuloy ang impeachment trial sa Nobyembre, na may buong-araw na paglilitis sa November 10, 12, 13, 19, at 20.
Magpapatuloy ang mga committee hearing para sa national budget ng 2027 sa October 14, na nahinto ng dalawang linggo habang nagsasagawa ng buong araw na impeachment trial ang Senado. Samantala, inaasahang sa huling bahagi ng Nobyembre magsisimula ang deliberasyon ng budget sa plenaryo, sa halip na sa November 9 na unang itinarget, bunsod ng schedule ng trial.
Pero wika ni Cayetano, hindi siya kumbinsido na dapat unahin ang impeachment trial.
Babala niya, halos tatlong linggong maaantala ang pagpasa sa national budget kung sa huling bahagi pa ng Nobyembre magsisimula ang debate nito sa plenaryo.
Bagama’t mahalagang accountability mechanism aniya ang impeachment, dapat muna aniyang tutukan ng Senado ang pagpasa sa pambansang budget sa gitna ng patuloy na krisis sa ekonomiya.
“May Super El Niño. Hindi pa tapos y’ung flood control investigation… We’re in an economic crisis, not only because of our own doing, but the whole world. All of us here legislators share all these concerns,” aniya.
Patungkol naman sa pormal na pagbawi ng prosekusyon sa Articles I, III, at IV ng impeachment complaint laban kay Duterte para raw mapabilis ang trial, makatipid sa resources ng gobyerno at oras ng publiko, at mabigyang-daan ang regular na gawaing lehislatibo ng Senado, sinabi ni Cayetano na hindi kailangang magmadali dahil wala namang deadline ang paglilitis.
Katunayan ay maaari aniyang namang pansamantalang ihinto ng Senado ang trial para bigyang-daan ang budget deliberations, at ipagpatuloy na lang ang paglilitis pagkatapos.
“We can take a break tomorrow and focus on the budget… Kung ako masusunod, unahin natin y’ung budget,” aniya.
Umapela si Cayetano sa Senate President, Presiding Officer, at Majority Leader na muling pag-aralan ang schedule at unahin ang national budget.
“Priorities are priorities. Priority dapat y’ung budget. The budget is not just passing it… So maybe I can just lay this at your feet and [you can] take it under advisement,” aniya.
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