MALACAÑANG on Thursday, September 27, said efforts to bring down inflation will take priority over moves to shift to a federal system of government.
"Right now, the foremost priority of the administration is fighting inflation. So, everything is sidelined now," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said in a press conference Thursday.
"I would say that even the administration acknowledges na mas importanteng harapin ang problema na malapit sa sikmura ng taong-bayan.
(I would say that even the administration acknowledges that it is more important to address the problem related to food.)
According to the September 2018 Pulse Asia Survey, the primary concern of 63 percent of Filipinos is how to curb the rising prices of basic goods and prime commodities. Inflation spiked to 6.4 percent in August, less than one percentage point shy of the nine-year high of 6.6 percent during the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration.
Roque said, however, that the Duterte administration is not abandoning its goal to shift to federalism.
"Darating po tayo dyan pero alam po natin na kinakailangan mas marami pang diskusyon, mas marami pang pag-aaral at mas marami pang (information) dissemination para sa pederalismo," he said.
(We will get there, but we know that more discussions, a more comprehensive study and an intensified information dissemination campaign are needed to advance federalism.)
Roque also acknowledged that Congress has its hands full with deliberations on the proposed 2019 General Appropriations Act.
"Wala naman po tayong choice dahil iisa lang ang ating Kongreso. Syempre po pinakaimportanteng trabaho ng Kongreso yung pagpapatupad ng budget law. Yun po talaga ang primary responsibility of Congress. So, everything will play second fiddle to the national budget for now," Roque said.
(We do not have a choice because we only have one Congress. Its most important job is to enact the budget law. That is its primary responsibility. So everything will play second fiddle to the national budget for now.)
Roque said Congress may tackle federalism after the national budget is approved. Federalism could also be an election issue, he added.
Congress targets to pass the budget by October 8, its self-imposed deadline.
Opposition lawmaker Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate, for his part, said President Rodrigo Duterte should concentrate on arresting inflation and not those allegedly behind the supposed ouster plot against him.
"As the latest Pulse Asia survey showed; the primary concern of 63 percent of Filipinos is how to control inflation. This is due to the spike in prices because of the Train law and the surge in international oil price as well the weakening of the peso," Zarate said in a statement.
He was referring to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) law, the government's first tax reform package which has been blamed largely for the continued increase in prices of consumer goods.
Zarate said the Duterte administration should stop its obsession with their hunt for the phantom Red October and move fast to lower the prices of commodities.
Red October refers to the alleged ouster plot against Duterte.
The President earlier said Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is conniving with the communists and the Liberal Party to oust him this October. His claim has since been denied by those mentioned.
Trillanes was arrested Tuesday, September 25, after a Makati court issued a warrant of arrest against him pursuant to Proclamation 572 which voided the amnesty granted to him. The senator is out on bail. (MVI and Keith Calayag/SunStar Philippines)