Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 26) — Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III refuted House Speaker and Southeast Asian (SEA) Games organizer Alan Peter Cayetano in blaming Senate for delays in the 2019 budget, saying all problems stemmed from the House of Representatives.

Sotto pinned the blame in the sudden decision of House members to oust then-Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to put former President turned Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the top post in the chamber, which also triggered changes in committee chairmanships.

"Normally, they would submit to us the budget, from them 'yung NEP (national expenditure program) nagiging GAB (General Appropriations Bill), before October 1. 'Yun ang normal," Sotto told CNN Philippines' Balitaan.

The Senate President, however, said the chamber only received the House-approved budget on November 24, 2018, leaving just a couple of weeks for senators to go through its provisions before the Christmas break.

The ₱3.7-trillion budget for 2019 was signed into law only by April of this year, leaving new and continuing projects — including the amount for the SEA Games hosting — unfunded for the first couple of months. The Senate and the House of Representatives had disagreements over alleged last-minute insertions by congressmen, which Sotto described as "unconstitutional."

Meanwhile, Sotto refuted Cayetano's claim that the Senate is also to blame for slashing the SEA Games budget from ₱7.5 billion to ₱6 billion.

"Ako, tingin ko kasi, tama na 'yun. Masyadong malaki na 'yun [I think that's enough. It's actually too big]," Sotto said, adding they've had to work with even smaller budgets back when he was a SEA Games bowler himself.

READ: Keep an eye on ₱7.5-B SEA Games budget now with PH Sports Commission – Locsin

Meanwhile, Sotto said he welcomes conducting a Senate probe into the SEA Games for operational or financial lapses.

"Mas malala pa nga ang hitches noong araw sa Thailand saka sa Malaysia. Tigilan na lang nila yung pintas [Hitches were worse back in the day when the Games were held in Thailand and in Malaysia. They should just stop criticizing]... I don't think it should be treated as a big deal," the senator added.

The 30th SEA Games will be held in the Philippines from November 30 to December 11, 2019.