Lagman wants 4 more session days to finalize, approve 2021 budget

Albay Representative Edcel Lagman is calling for four more days of congressional sessions from October 19 to 22 in order to give lawmakers more time to finalize and approve the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for next year.

This was after President Rodrigo Duterte called for a special session of Congress from October 13 to 16 “to resume the congressional deliberations on the proposed 2021 national budget and to avoid any further delays on its prompt passage.”

"Hinihiling ko sa Pangulo na i-amyenda yung pagtawag ng special session at dagdagan ng apat pang araw," Lagman said in a Dobol B sa News TV interview on Sunday.

"Ito yung simula sa October 19, 20, 21, 22 upang talagang supisyente ang panahon na maaprubahan yung ating national budget at yung Mababang Kapulungan naman ay maipasok sa General Appropriations Bill ang amendments ng committee at ang individual amendments bago maaprubabahan sa second and third reading," he added.

The House last week approved on second reading House Bill 7727, or the 2021 General Appropriations Bill, without finishing the scheduled plenary deliberations on the budget anymore.

It suspended its session until November 16 afterwards, even as the congressional recess is originally scheduled to start on Friday this week.

The chamber also created a small committee of lawmakers to accept committee and individual amendments to the budget bill.

But Lagman said the small committee deliberations on proposed amendments to the 2021 GAB should not be pushed through as the process was not transparent.

"Huwag ipaubaya sa small committee sapagkat walang transparency doon. Kailangan itong mga committee and individual amendments ay ma-propose at matalakay, maaprubahan sa plenaryo," he said.

Lagman said that the plenary deliberations on the 2021 budget should be reopened as there are at least four major government agencies whose proposed appropriations for next year have yet to be scrutinized.

The allocations for some constitutional and executive offices, as well as for state universities and colleges, have also not been interpellated, he added.

"Kayang-kaya na yan [sa dagdag na apat na raw] at bago mag-Undas ay mapapadala na sa Senado ang printed copy ng GAB for 2021 on third reading," Lagman said.

The special session this week will also coincide with the supposed turnover of the speakership to Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco on October 14, as part of the "gentlemen's agreement" between him and Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.

Lagman said that although the special session was called to finalize and approve the budget, possible attempts to transfer the speakership to Velasco may not be prevented.

"Palagay ko hindi maiiwasan yan because kasama yan sa problema na kailangan masolusyonan," he said.

"Kaya sabihin ng ating Pangulo sa malakas na boses nang marinig ng buong taumbayan at mga miyembo ng Mababang Kapulungan na ang kanyang desisyon ay tuparin ni Speaker Cayetano ang 15-21 agreement at magbitaw na siya sa pwesto bilang Speaker at mag-take over na si Rep. Lord Allan Velasco susog sa kanilang term-sharing agreement," he added.

Under the original term-sharing agreement, Cayetano is expected to hold the speakership for 15 months and Velasco will take over to finish the remaining 21 months. —LBG, GMA News