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Sotto dares House to adopt Senate version of P4.5-trillion 2021 budget

By DONA MAGSINO,GMA News

Senate President Tito Sotto has one suggestion that he said would cause the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021 pass Congress quickly.

"Adopt nila 'yung version namin. Bibilis ang bicam," Sotto said when asked about Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano's willingness to fast-track the bicameral process.

Sotto doubted that the House would follow the Senate version of the general appropriations bill but added that anything was possible.

Sotto admitted that the lawmakers are looking at a re-enacted budget as the budget bill will realistically be passed by Congress in the first or second week of January because of the very tight schedule.

"We're really staring at the possibility of a re-enacted budget. Isang buwan yung delay sa ine-expect namin. I don't know how but sabi nila sa November 17 daw ita-transmit sa amin, eh kapag inapprove mo in third reading, may printing pa 'yun eh... Ang daming kopya niyan, ang kapal niyan," he said.

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The Senate will continue its committee budget hearings even during the October break and was originally expecting that by November 16, it can take up the debates on plenary.

This timeline, however, will not be followed anymore.

The senators said that even if the House transmits the budget bill on November 16, it will take about a week before it can be sponsored on the floor because it has to be studied first.

Sotto stressed that there will only be 20 working days, at best, for the budget bill to undergo Senate interpellations, amendments, and bicam before the other Congressional break arrives on December 19.

"Even if we do it Monday to Friday, five days, you are talking about 20 days. Twenty days for interpellations, amendments, and bicam. Sa bicam pa lang siguradong madugo eh," he said. -NB, GMA News