MANILA — House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Monday downplayed his earlier threat to give zero budget to local politicians unsupportive of the administration’s push for federalism, saying that it was meant to be a joke.
In a television interview, Alvarez said his supposed threats are actually empty words, noting that any decision to give zero budget to provinces does not rest on the House of Representatives alone but must also secure the Senate’s approval.
“Alam mo iyong pag nag-speech ka, kailangan mo ng kaunting biro-biro, di ba? Iyon lang naman iyon. Ewan ko ba bakit sineryoso nila, (You know, if you’re giving a speech, you need to add some humor, right? That’s just it. I don’t know why they took it seriously.)” Alvarez said in a TV interview.
“Papaano ka naman mag tre-threaten kung alam mo naman na hindi talaga magagawa? (How can you make threats if you know you cannot follow through?)” Alvarez said.
Alvarez gave the zero budget threat during his speech last week before thousands of Iloilo local officials who had taken their oath as new members of the ruling PDP-Laban party.
Alvarez is confident his joke in the Iloilo gathering would not affect his credibility as a public official.
Opposition lawmakers, however, did not take Alvarez’ joke too lightly.
Akbayan Partylist Rep. Tom Villarin said the Speaker’s statement, empty words or not, is unbecoming of his position.
Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat said it is not a joke if those in power decide to deprive funding for provinces to silence or threaten the opposition.
“It’s not empty words when Filipinos such as upland indigenous communities in the Cordillera suffer from political whims,” Baguilat said.
“Instead of weaponizing the budget, the Speaker should instead focus on convincing us how federalism can help Ifugao and allow for free debate of ideas,” he added. (Filane Mikee Cervantes/PNA)
