Avisado’s resignation won’t affect House budget deliberations

MANILA – Speaker Lord Allan Velasco on Friday assured the public that the resignation of Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado would not affect the upcoming deliberations on the proposed 2022 national budget at the House of Representatives.

Velasco gave the assurance after Malacañang confirmed that Avisado’s current health condition has prompted him to step down from his post.

“While we are saddened by the resignation of Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado, we understand that health must take high priority especially during this time of the pandemic. We wish him well and we hope that this will allow him more time to take care of himself and be with his family,” Velasco said.

He expressed confidence that Budget Undersecretary Tina Rose Marie Canda, who has been designated as the officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), would carry on the task and continue its work on the 2022 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

“The House of Representatives eagerly awaits the submission of the NEP so we can start the deliberations on the 2022 national budget and pass it on time, much like we did last year,” he said.

On Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed President Rodrigo Duterte has already accepted Avisado’s resignation.

Canda has been acting as DBM OIC since Avisado went on medical leave on Aug. 2.

Avisado earlier took a medical leave after contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and to undertake a series of examinations 14 years after undergoing heart surgery.

He was hospitalized for eight days and quarantined for over a month after catching Covid-19. The date of his hospitalization was not mentioned.

Avisado, a former Davao City administrator during Duterte’s mayorship, was appointed DBM Secretary in August 2019.

He is Duterte’s second Budget secretary, replacing Benjamin Diokno, who is now Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor.

Before his resignation, Avisado managed to submit the executive department’s 2022 National Expenditure Program, which will also contain funding for the government’s Covid-19 response.