House OK with special session on budget but remains firm vs. lump sum funds —Andaya

House Committee on Appropriations chair Rolando Andaya on Thursday maintained that the lower chamber will not accept the original, lump sum-filled version of the ratified bill on the 2019 national budget even as Congress holds a special session to discuss it.

Andaya made the remark in response to the proposal of Senate President Vicente Sotto III for both houses of Congress to convene in a special session to discuss the contentious issues in the proposed 2019 General Appropriations Act.

"We welcome any effort to break the budget impasse. But the House position is clear: we will not agree to the Senate’s stand that we return to the old mode of lump-sum budgeting," Andaya said in a statement.

"The House remains steadfast in its mission of itemizing all lump-sum funds in the 2019 General Appropriations Act," he added.

According to Sotto, he will sign the budget bill and transmit it to President Rodrigo Duterte who will then veto the lump sum identified by the House.

The Senate and House will then convene in a special session and pass a joint resolution approving a supplemental budget for that particular item.

“We can convene kahit one day, a special session and pass a joint resolution approving a supplemental budget for that particular, ilang percent na yun, or 3 percent na portion ng budget,” said Sotto.       

Despite the House's stance, Andaya said they would let the Senate decide on the logistics of the special session.

"Our lines remain open for a dialogue with the Senate. Set the date and place, we will be there," he said.

Andaya has consistently said there was nothing unconstitutional in the House's act of itemizing lump sum funds in the ratified appropriations bill, as they only wanted to be transparent in the budget.

He also pointed out that both the Senate and the House of Representatives made itemization in the budget after the bicameral report on the proposed 2019 General Appropriations Act was ratified. —LDF, GMA News