(Eagle News) — The passage of the proposed P3.757-trillion 2019 national budget will be derailed if a joint session on the proposed extension of martial law in Mindanao pushes through on Wednesday, Dec. 12, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said on Friday, Dec. 7.
“That will delay the budget schedule because we start 10 in the morning everyday. Definitely it will delay because we have to travel siyempre pupunta kami sa Kongreso para sa joint session dahil diyan talagang maaantala ang passage of the budget on Wednesday,” Zubiri said.
According to Zubiri, the plan was to pass on second and third reading the 2019 national budget on Dec. 12.
He said they hoped the bill would be ratified by next week.
“Kaya ang pakiusap ko po sa Malacañang kung magtatawag po sila ng joint session sana sa umaga ng Wednesday hindi po hapon, kasi kapag hapon talagang alanganin na kasi ang plano po namin kung magtatawag sila ng special session ng umaga pupunta po kami ng Kongreso para doon at babalik po kami ng hapon at least by one o’clock we will resume consideration on the budget bill,” he said.
The House of Representatives passed the General Appropriations Bill of 2019 on final reading on Nov. 20.
