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voL. xxxilr No. 330 . MoNDAy, JUNE 24, 2019 . 5 SECT|ONS, 40 PAGES P20 J|ll|l

THE PHILIPPTNE STAR

neurs, MONDAY I JUNE 24, 2Oi9

Aspiring speaker iuvites lawmakers to Pnlace bnth-taking'

By DELON PORCALLA reply yet in the Viber thread of reporters.
In a related developmenf returning
Speakership contenders have just Leyte congressman Martin Romualdez
-
upped the ante. anbther Speaker aspirant
- said it would
be best iithe incoming Congress would
The camp of one hopeful allegedly sent
irrvites for neophyte congressmen to at- pass the 2020 national budget on time,
tend a "mass oath taking" at Malacaiang unlike *ris year's stalled spending bill.
tomorrow. "An overwhelming number o{ con-
Several lawmakers who refused to be gressmen elected in the 18th Congress
named claimed they have received "text ire supportive of Prcsident Duterte and
messages" frorh the camp of lone Marin- his legislative agenda. Number one on
duque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco inviting the list of priority bi1ls, o{ course, is the
them to attend the event at 5 p.m. at the
Palace's Rizal Hall. - \ i

of the Chief Executive for. the

,Speakership post. ' .?' As .an initial step, he said he sought a
But House Majority Leader Fredenil meeting with Finance Secretary_Carlos
Castro is unimpressed, saying such Dominguez III to find ways on how to
presidential erients shouid not be used tighten the communication line and co'
by the candidaies who want to take over .ordination between the House and the
the helm of the House of Representa- economic managers.
tives when the 18th Congress convenes "ln consultation wiLh my colleagues in
onJuly 22. the 18th Congress, all of them agreed to
"To grab, snatch or hiiack the lime- work double time to erisure tlrat the House
light of those who are scheduled to will approve the General ApproPriations
take their oath, including lawmakers Bill before November (this year)," Ro-
and the honor of the Presideirt ad- mualdez added.
ministerinS the oath for self-serving This timetable will give the sena-
political purpose is highly immora'1, tors more time to scrutinize and
r if not highly in- deliberate on the proposed national
decent," the lone budget, thus providing them with
" P4gt - r' Capiz congress-
man said.
enough leeway to pass the GAB be-
fore the end of 201q.
' Castro heads the "Our mission in the House: pass the
z8-member Nation- GAB in October and give the Senate until
a1 Unity Pariy in early December to act on it. Then we can
the House. both approvethe GeneralAppropriations
Velasco has not Actbefore the Christmas break " Romudl-
made any official dez said.