Lacson to House: Transmit 2019 budget to Senate now

Senator Panfilo Lacson exhorted the House of Representatives on Thursday to approve the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019 on third and final reading and transmit it to the Senate for deliberation.

With less than a month in session, Lacson said senators are racing against time to conduct its own scrutiny of the budget before passing it.

Congress will go on break on December 12.

Lacson, one of the vice chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Finance, warned against a reenacted budget if the House will delay its transmittal of the budget bill to the Senate.

“Kung masyadong delay paano kami  makakapagdebate nang maayos sa plenaryo, kung ganun kaigsi yung oras because we are having our adjournment on December 12, ilang araw na lang ang matitira,” he said.

It was during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, between 2001 and 2010, when the country operated with a reenacted budget several times.  Arroyo is now the House Speaker.

Lacson said he had no idea what was taking the House too long to approve the general appropriations bill (GAB).

“Sa budget hindi ko alam yung nangyayaring delay sa House because up to now hindi pa rin nata-transmit yung tinatawag na GAB 2, ito yung House version. Kaya hindi kami makagalaw sa plenaryo hanggang hindi namin nakikita ‘yun dahil ‘yun ang reference namin,” he said during the weekly news forum Kapihan sa Senado.

The Senate has conducted budget hearings at the committee level, but could not yet begin its plenary deliberations until the House-approved version of the bill is transmitted.  Revenue measures such as the budget emanate from the House.

“Hindi kami makapagsimula ng plenary debates until and unless hawak namin yung GAB na House version,” he said.

The House has approved the budget bill on second reading in October.  But the bill has yet to return to plenary for third and final reading.

“Matagal na silang nag-close ng period of interpellation, pati period of amendments, naipasa na sa second reading, ang pinakamadaling ipasa yung 3rd reading.  Ewan ko kung ano pa ang inaatado dun,” he said.

Lacson said after the approval on third and final reading, it will take around 10 days to print the document before it can be transmitted to the Senate.

“So ang appeal ko sa House of Representatives, sana man lang madaliin nila ang pagpasa sa third reading at pagpiprint para  matransmit na sa amin at para hindi naman tayo magreenact ng budget,” he added.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he has met with House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya and the latter assured that there will be no reenacted budget.

"Yes. I was assured by Cong. Andaya that there will not be a reenacted budget. It’s now just a matter of timing,” he said in a text message to reporters. — LDF, GMA News