QUEZON CITY – House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday thanked lawmakers for crossing party lines to express their support for his leadership, asking them to translate the show of unity into action by swiftly passing “the best budget ever” that will prioritize people’s lives and their livelihood.
“I am eternally grateful to every member of Congress for your continued trust and support in the leadership of this House of the People. And now I would ask that we translate this overwhelming show of unity into action by swiftly passing a great budget that we can all be proud of,” Cayetano said in a Facebook post.
Cayetano reiterated to his colleagues that they should pass a budget that is “relevant to the needs of the people, responsive to the challenges that lie ahead, and reflective of the President’s desire to provide a safe and comfortable life for all Filipinos.”
In a separate Facebook Live post, Cayetano said the show of support from his colleagues would be “meaningless” if it does not result in a better life for the people.
“Balewala ang support if we stay in office pero we don’t deliver y’ung priorities ng administration at pangangailangan ng tao. So, y’un po ang puno’t dulo. Hindi po pondo ang pag-uusapan dito kundi priorities,” he said.
(This show of support will be meaningless if we stay in office but don’t deliver the priorities of the administration and the needs of the people. That’s the point of it all. It’s not the funds we’re talking about but our priorities.)
Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, who appeared with Cayetano in the life video, said he is optimistic that the House leadership can achieve its goal of prioritizing the needs of the people.
“Bilang Majority Leader, kasama ko si Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano. We are the House of Representatives, this is the people’s House. Y’ung sinasabi n’ya, y’ung buhay at kabuhayan. ‘yan ang priority natin kaya ‘yan ang gagawin natin. Salamat sa suporta. Asahan mo, y’ung Kongreso mo ay para sa bayan,” he said.
(As Majority Leader, I stand with Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano. We are the House of Representatives, this is the people’s House. What he [Cayetano] is saying — the people’s lives and their livelihood — these are our priorities so that’s what we are doing. Thank you for the support. Rest assured that your Congress is for the people.)
Cayetano vowed that Congress will attend to the needs of every district and sector but added that no amount of “blackmailing” “hostage-taking” will force them to allow “pork, parking, or corruption.”
But for real needs, he said he and Romualdez will make sure no House member will be neglected. “That’s what we are here for,” Cayetano said.
”So, please pray for us. Please pray that we can have a progressive budget for 2021 that will be a stepping stone for great things in the future,” he said.