Dispatch from Crame No. 938:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima On the Possibility of Another Reenacted Budget for 2021

10/10/20

Could we expect anything worse? If the President is not yet a lame duck as early as now, then he should ensure that one of the most important tools of government to help us recover from this pandemic - the 2021 National budget - is not held hostage by his men who are squabbling for power.

Nakadidismaya at nakagagalit na taumbayan na naman ang talo sa gulo ng mga kaalyado ni Ginoong Duterte.

Agawan sa kapangyarihan, kayong magkaka-alyado lang ang makikinabang. Kahit saang anggulo tingnan, magdurusa ang taumbayan. How dare you act so quickly and call for a late-night meeting over the petty power-grabs of your minions! Parang mga batang nag-aagawan sa kendi, habang nag-aagaw buhay ang ekonomiya at kalusugan ng taumbayan. Mahiya naman kayo! Wala nang natutuwa sa bangayan ninyo!

At the end of the day, the President will have to choose. Not between his former favorite lieutenant Alan Peter and Lord Allan, the golden boy of his favorite daughter Sara, but between paying his debt of gratitude to his campaign contributors and actually doing his job as President of the Republic. If Mr. Duterte had any shred of morality remaining, this wouldn't be a choice at all. Sadly for him and the nation, there is none left.

Another reenacted budget under Mr. Duterte's watch as President is another count of gross incompetence by his administration at the expense of 110 million Filipinos. And for what? To ensure the victory of his daughter in the 2022 Presidential elections by putting a loyal stooge (and a non-competitor or non-aspirant for the presidential bid) in power at the House of Representatives this early in the ballgame. We all know that. Alan Peter knows that. Kaya naman ayaw niyang bitawan ang Speakership hanggang sa punto na kahit sawayin niya ang utos ng kanyang Poong Nasiraan.

Filipinos continue to get infected and die of COVID-19, the economy is bellying up, unemployment is skyrocketing, the national foreign debt is now worth trillions - more than the lifetime income of the poorest 70% of all Filipinos combined. But none of that matters. Only the future of Sara, the golden daughter, matters now. And to hell with all other Filipinos. ###

Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 938, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_938