(Eagle News)–The deadlock over the proposed national budget between the Senate and the House of Representatives was finally broken with Senate President Tito Sotto signing the enrolled budget bill of the House as is but “with reservations.”
Sotto clarified in a press conference on Tuesday, March 26, that even with the signing, the Senate was still against the “alignments” made by the House of Representatives in the version ratified by the Senate and the House.
Sotto said the chief executive had the option to veto such “unconstitutional alignments,” which include the P75 billion worth of projects under the Local Infrastructure Program of the Department of Public Works and Highways, which the House had merely described as “itemizations.”
“To no longer belabor the so-called 98 percent of the budget (we did this).Ang quinequestion lang namin two to 3 percent of the budget, so might as well have it enacted as the 2019 budget,” Sotto said.
Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon, who made the proposal, said this was the “compromise solution” reached by both chambers of Congress.
Senator Panfilo Lacson said it was reached last night, when the Senate and House contingents met in an attempt to break the impasse.
Sotto said the signed budget bill was transmitted to President Duterte, whose signature was needed for the budget bill to become a law, “thirty minutes ago.”
Duterte had warned against the dangers of operating on a reenacted budget in the absence of a 2019 national budget, but emphasized he would not sign an “illegal document.”
The government has been operating on a reenacted budget since January.
“I am attesting to that portion (of the proposed budget) we (the Senate and the House) ratified. That’s it,” Sotto said.
