'THE NERVE!'

Senate to blame for delayed budget? Unacceptable, says Sotto

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday rebutted House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano's remark that the Senate is to be blamed if the passage of the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021 would be delayed.

"The nerve! Passing the blame, it’s unacceptable!" Sotto said in a message to reporters.

"Do not be misled. The HOR has delayed the budget for a whole month. No one can ever blame the Senate for this delay. NEVER!" he added.

In a separate message, Sotto said passing the blame on the Senate can only be described as an alibi.

"Isa lang ang sagot sa mga sinasabi na 'yan na incomplete, dahil ang days na binibilang nila [is] not from receiving the general appropriations bill. 'PALUSOT,'" Sotto said, adding that his remark was directed at the House.

"Ang tanong, bakit ninyo kami dinadamay sa problema ninyo?" he added.

On Wednesday, Cayetano downplayed his counterparts' concern on the effect of the sudden suspension of session in the House without approving the general appropriations bill on third reading.

"One day lang po ang diperensya and I hope that maging malinaw ito because kung magkakaroon po ng delay o reenactment, it will be because of the Senate not because of the House, because we are only taking about only one day," he said.

The congressmen plan to pass the budget when they resume session on November 16, contrary to the expectation of the senators that they will approve the bill on third reading before Congress goes on break next week.

The change in the timeline did not sit well with Sotto who said that lawmakers are really staring at the possibility of having a reenacted budget next year.

A day or a month?

Even though Cayetano keeps on insisting that the delay was just a day, Sotto and Senator Panfilo Lacson estimated that the abrupt suspension "effectively" took one month from senators.

If the budget has been submitted to the upper chamber before the originally scheduled break starting October 17, the senators said they would have enough time to study the House version during recess and prepare the committee report.

In that way, senators will be able to take it up for plenary debates immediately when session resumes on November 16.

"October 17 is a month away from Nov 17!" Sotto said.

With the new set-up, the senators will be able to study the thick books of the budget bill only after the House approves its version on third reading on November 16 and after the printed copies are transmitted to the Senate.

"I'm sorry but between Oct. 12-14 when the Senate is originally scheduled to receive the transmittal of the general appropriations bill from the House and Nov 17. when the Speaker said they will be able to transmit the same to us is definitely not one day difference," Lacson said in a message.

Lacson emphasized that aside from the one week that senators would need to study and craft subcommittee reports based on the House version, the mother Finance Committee would need about another week to consolidate all of these before a committee report is filed.

With the changes in schedule, Sotto estimates that there will only be around 20 working days left for senators to interpellate, amend, and conduct the bicameral conference committee meeting with their counterparts because Congress will again adjourn its session on December 19.

Senate Finance Committee chairperson Sonny Angara earlier said the period of interpellations in the upper chamber, which usually lasts for about two to three weeks cannot be cut short, as transparency cannot be compromised.

Among the key solutions being eyed is for the House to resume session for a day just to pass the budget bill on third reading.

"I have just suggested to the Speaker if it's possible for him to resume their session (since suspended lang naman) before All Saints Day just to approve on third and final reading the House version of the budget measure and thereafter transmit the same to us," Lacson said.

"In so doing, we can start floor debates immediately after we resume session on Nov 16, or even before that. That way, we can ensure timely passage of the budget measure," he added.—AOL/RSJ, GMA News