Lacson: 2021 budget 'as good as re-enacted' due to sudden suspension in House

The national budget for 2021 is as good as re-enacted after the House of Representatives suddenly suspended its session without approving the general appropriations bill on third reading, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Wednesday.

"Kapag November 5 ang last day ng submission ng amendments nila, wala na, good as re-enacted na 'yung budget natin. There's no way for the Senate na matapos 'yung budget and even Malacañang na ma-approve 'yung budget before the year-end," Lacson told reporters in an online interview.

"Syempre aayusin nila, hindi naman lahat ng amendments ia-adopt nila di ba? Sabihin na natin pinakamaiksi, one week, so November 12. Magpi-print pa sila, that's another week, so November 19," he added.

Assuming that the House will be able to transmit it to the Senate on November 20, it would take the senators one week to study before the plenary debate starts, according to the senator.

The promises of some lawmakers in the House that the passage of the 2021 budget would not be derailed did not assuage Lacson's concern.

"Imposible na nga eh. Maski ipangako nila na it will be passed on time, hindi na talaga maipa-pass on time," he said.

"Ang nawala sa atin ito because of the sudden suspension ng session nila, isang buwan effectively. Kung sana tinapos nila ng October 14, bago magbreak nasa sa amin na ang House version, kayang-kaya natin ipasa 'yun bago mag-December 21," he added.

Senate Finance Committee chairperson Sonny Angara, meanwhile, is still hopeful that the situation can still be remedied without compromising

Lacson, for his part, agreed with Angara that the period of interpellation cannot be cut short due to lack of material time.

However, he believes that the period of bicameral conference, which usually takes a week or so, cannot be reduced as supposedly suggested by House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.

"'Yan ang napakahirap ipangako. Kung lululunin namin lahat 'yung mga insertions madadali nga—which will not happen. Kasi hindi namin tatanggapin lahat 'yung makikita namin doon. Of course may amendments din i-introduce ang Senate, minsan nagka-clash 'yun eh," Lacson said.

He is also not confident that Cayetano's proposition to send advance copies of the budget bill that the House is working on will be effective.

"Hindi namin alam kung iyon na ang final kasi hindi iyon ang printed copy eh. Hindi iyon ang tinatawag na general appropriations bill," he said. "Kung piecemeal, 'di pa nila ina-apporve on third reading 'yun."

The scrutiny of the proposed budget in the upper chamber is very crucial, according to Lacson.

"Very, very important based on experience kasi nga maraming nai-insert na hindi kanais-nais," he said.

"One thing we can assure, hindi namin mamadaliin to sacrifice 'yung pag-scrutinize namin. Anyway, maski anong magic ang gawin namin, siguradong re-enacted na 'yung budget eh. Hindi na kaya i-approve so why not gamitin na lang 'yung time talaga nang sa ganoon mapag-aralan nang husto ang budget?"

Senate President Vicente Sotto III also agreed with Lacson's prediction and admitted that the Senate is really staring at the possibility of a re-enacted budget in 2021.—AOL, GMA News