Lacson asks Senate to reconsider decision to fast-track approval of 2019 budget

Senator Panfilo Lacson hopes that the Senate will reconsider its decision to approve the P3.7-trillion proposed national budget for 2019 in two weeks.

“It is impossible to accomplish this. So I would like to suggest that we have to rethink our position on the package of the 2019 budget, Mr. [Senate] President,” Lacson said in his manifestation on Monday.

The Senate received the General Appropriations Bill from the House of Representatives last week.

Lacson said that the tentative plenary schedule on the budget deliberations showed that the period of interpellation should close by Friday, December 7.

“There are 271 items on the agenda, meaning agencies and offices. Even assuming that we work 24 hours a day, Mr. President, 271 divided by 72 [hours], which is the equivalent of three days, we have to tackle 3.76 agencies in one hour,” said Lacson.

He added: “So translated into minutes—60 minutes—which is the equivalent of one hour, we will have to finish one agency, one office in 15 minutes. This is assuming we won’t have any breakfast break, we don’t have any lunch break, no dinner break, no weewee, no meryenda.”

The Senate is in an all-member caucus to discuss the budget deliberation, as of posting time.

Last week, Senate leaders vowed to work double time to approve the 2019 national budget before the end of the year after a meeting with Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno.

Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the deliberations from December 4, Tuesday to December 7, Friday would be from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.  If needed, senators would extend on December 10 and 11.

“We would like to show the public that the Senate is willing to work double-time, overtime, even though we just got the budget measure only a few days ago. But we will do our job. Hindi namin papahiyain ang bayan. Gagawin namin ang aming duty which is to approve the budget before the end of this year,” Zubiri said.

He said Senate leaders plan to have the budget bill approved on second and third reading by December 11, hold a one-day bicameral conference committee meeting on December 12, and have it ratified by December 13. — BM, GMA News