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Manila councilors nearly come to blows over proposed city budget

Article (news)

Dennis Datu

ABS-CBN News

<div><span data-teams="true" id="isPasted"><span dir="ltr"></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Similar to what happened on the Senate floor where Sens. Alan Peter Cayetano and Juan Miguel Zubiri nearly got into a fistfight, the plenary session of the Manila City Council saw legislators almost coming to blows.</p><p>The root of the conflict was the proposed P25-billion budget for the city for 2025.</p><p>Shouting, pushing, and scuffles took place while the session was in recess on Tuesday.</p><p>According to opposition 4th District Councilor Joel Villanueva, local lawmakers were surprised when the approval of the annual budget of Manila was suddenly included in the session&#x27;s agenda without it having gone through budget and committee hearings.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/2/3/lacuna-pays-tribute-to-fallen-heroes-in-commemoration-of-battle-for-manila-2100">•Lacuna pays tribute to fallen heroes in commemoration of Battle for Manila</a></div><p>“Hindi pa nagkakaroon ng committee or budget hearing kung saan ang mga department heads  ay humaharap sa mga konsehal para tanungin naming sila kagaya ng nangyayari  sa Kongreso,” Villanueva said in an interview with ABS-CBN News.</p><p>(There have been no hearings where department heads face the councilors to answer questions like what they do in Congress)</p><p>He said that the budget should go through the legislative process and should not be rushed from first to final reading on the same day.</p><p>A recess was called as tensions rose at the session hall.</p><p>However, 6th District Councilor Salvador Philip Lacuna — Mayor Honey Lacuna&#x27;s brtoher — approached Villanueva during the break, leading to a confrontation.</p><p>Villanueva said he was then told that the mayor had issued a certificate of urgency for approval of the budget.</p><p>Legislation certified urgent can be read and approved on third and final reading on the same day, but is not exempted from having to go through deliberations.</p><p>“Sinasabi niya na I must accept that they have the numbers at yun ang realidad, (Sino nagsabi? ) Si Councilor Lacuna,&quot; Villanueva added.</p><p>(Councilor Lacuna told me that I must accept the reality that they have the numbers)</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/21/abante-cascolan-warned-mabilog-of-plot-to-link-lp-senators-to-drugs-1728">•Rep.Abante: Cascolan warned Mabilog of plot to link LP senators to drugs</a></div><p>In a video, 6th District Councilor Benny Fog Abante appeared to be pushing someone, but Villanueva clarified that he was only trying to keep things from turning violent.</p><p>“Na-misconstrue siguro na tinutulak ako [at] nagkaroon ng sagutan sa aking kasamahan, si Councilor [Luis] Uy,” Villanueva explained, referring to a councilor from the 6th District.</p><p>(It may have seemed like he was pushing me, so words were exchanged with my ally Councilor Uy) </p><p>The heated debate only ended when other councilors intervened.</p><div><strong>COUNCILOR LACUNA SAYS IT WAS A POLITICAL STUNT<br/></strong></div><p>In a statement, Councilor Lacuna criticized Villanueva&#x27;s remarks, saying he was exagerrating things as a political stunt.</p><p>Lacuna further stated that Villanueva and his group are not fighting for any real issues.</p><p>“Kulang sila sa pansin, ginawa nilang acting workshop ang Konseho, at wala silang totoong isyung ipinaglalaban,&quot; he said.</p><p>(They want attention and they turned the council into an acting workshop. There is no real issue for them to fight for here)</p><p>He added: &quot;My fellow councilors and I, who voted to approve the people&#x27;s budget, are focused on real work.&quot;</p><p>Councilor Abante and Vice Mayor Yul Servo, who presided over the session, have yet to issue a statement.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/8/10/isko-allies-feel-betrayed-by-decision-to-run-for-manila-mayor-vs-lacuna-lawmaker-1217">•Isko allies ‘feel betrayed’ by decision to run for Manila mayor vs Lacuna: lawmaker</a></div><p>Villanueva clarified that the council&#x27;s minority bloc, which has 18 members against the adminsitartion&#x27;s 20, is not opposed to the amount of the city&#x27;s annual budget but to the supposedly improper mode of approval.</p><p>“Alam naming kailangan yung budget, dapat binigyan lang nila kami ng opportunity na tanungin yung nilalaman ng budget na inihahain nila na ayaw nilang sagutin,” he said.</p><p>(We know that the city needs the budget, but they should have given us the opportunity to ask about the budget they were presenting for approval, but they didn&#x27;t answer our questions)</p><p>The proposed 2025 budget for the city was eventually approved when session resumed.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rbmKCC-ENh8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Similar to what happened on the Senate floor where Sens. Alan Peter Cayetano and Juan Miguel Zubiri nearly got into a fistfight, the plenary session of the Manila City Council saw legislators almost coming to blows.</p>

Similar to what happened on the Senate floor where Sens. Alan Peter Cayetano and Juan Miguel Zubiri nearly got into a fistfight, the plenary session of the Manila City Council saw legislators almost coming to blows.