Sotto sees delay in budget hearing, vows to work overtime

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday admitted that there would be delays in the chamber's deliberations on the proposed 2022 national budget.

"Yes indeed there will be a delay. We will just have to work double time, in other words, we will just try to squeeze in on Monday even if it takes us to finish until the wee hours of the morning of Tuesday. We will have to squeeze it in," Sotto said in a virtual media presser.

"Supposed to be, there is a session today and we have to finish everything by tonight, otherwise we will have to extend by Friday. Because of what happened, we will have to try Monday, finish everything until the wee hours of the morning but if we do have to extend until Tuesday, what will we need will be a double time work by the LBRMO (Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office)," Sotto added.

Sotto also said the Senate would work double time in proposing amendments in the budget bill.

He noted that the proposed budgets of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Transportation, the Presidential Communications Operations Office, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Education, Department of Public Works and Highways, and State Universities and Colleges are yet to be tackled.

The Senate had decided to suspend the plenary debates on the 2022 budget bill scheduled for November 18 after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana tested positive for COVID-19 anew.

Lorenzana was in the Senate on Tuesday as the proposed P222 billion budget for the Department of National Defense was discussed.

Despite the expected delays, Sotto assured that public that there will be no reenacted budget for Fiscal Year 2022.

"We still have time. Even in the bicam lalo na kung wala naman masyadong pagkakaiba 'yung version namin sa version ng House sa GAB" (Even in the bicam especially if there is no huge difference between the versions of House and the Senate on the General Appropriations Bills or GAB), he said.

"Alam mo naman ang Senate usually sumusunod sa NEP, eh" (The Senate usually follows the National Expenditure Program or NEP), Sotto added.

"Hopefully 'yung target namin na matapos kami and then bicam in the first week of December is still possible, huwag lang magdrag on 'yung bicam (The target to finish this by December is still possible). So right now, assessment, it's a four-day delay but the four-day delay is not too bad considering we will supposed to end -- budget approval and all -- by first week of December so it will become second week of December," he noted. 

Sotto said they are also ready to extend for the approval and passage of the budget. They are supposed to go on break by December 16.

"Congressional leaders' signing [as planned] ay December 17, and then December 21 'yung revised. Because of this baka magiging December 21 'yung signing ng congressional leaders,  he said.

(The initial plan is for congressional leaders to sign this by December 17 and then the revised by December 21. However, due to the delays, it could be moved to December 21.) 

The fiscal year 2022 is proposed to have a P5.024 trillion budget. —LBG, GMA News