“(The House members) wanted tourism infrastructure citing its multiplier effects. He said Drilon’s statements on the P10-billion fund for toilets and roads were “fake news” and mere “grandstanding” after the reconciled version was nearer the proposal of the House than the Senate. “The final bicam version will clearly show who’s telling the truth and it confirms that most of the salient features came from the House version,” he said in a text message. The Camarines Sur lawmaker also asked Sotto to specify the provisions that House panel members supposedly tried to push for their “personal gains.”“The House would gladly address any concern without need for personal attacks and grandstanding,” Villafuerte said. In a separate statement, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano echoed Villafuerte’s statement that the final bicam report “adopted the initiatives of the House” and said the House of Representatives would ratify the bicameral committee report on Aug. 24.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 21, 2020 20:48 UTC