Duterte son threatens coup over budget allocations

Presidential son and Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte threatened to stage a coup against House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano due to complaints about inequitable budget allocations for 2021.

Mr. Duterte sent a message on Viber to lawmakers, suggesting that the Mindanao bloc declare the positions of speaker and deputy speakers vacant on September 21.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon warned that any power struggle in the House could delay the passage of the P4.5-trillion national budget bill, which would be critical during the pandemic with high unemployment rates and economic contraction.