Bicam tasked Angara, Yap to reconcile disagreeing provisions in 2021 budget bill, solon says

The bicameral conference committee on the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget has tasked Senator Sonny Angara and ACT-CIS party-list Representative Eric Yap to reconcile the disagreeing provisions on the two chambers' version of the budget bill.

This was decided on the first day of the deliberations of the bicameral panel on the 2021 budget.

"Both chairs of [the two] chambers' [appropriations committees] were put to task in reconciling disagreeing provisions of [the] budget versions," Valenzuela City Representative Eric Martinez told GMA News Online when asked about what transpired during the closed-door deliberations.

Angara is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, while Yap heads the House Committee on Appropriations.

In an interview following the bicameral meeting, Yap stressed the need for their deliberations to finish this week.

He noted that this should be easy since both chambers are one in pushing for measures to boost the government's COVID-19 response and help communities affected by the recent calamities.

"Sa tingin ko hindi naman [madugo ang usapan]. Kasi wala naman ako nakitang irregularities. Ang nakikita ko yung mga MPVs na puwede i-convert into quarantine facilities and may mga nakita ako doon na hospital and school building," Yap said.

"Yung mga iba pa na road networks ay mga valid projects na yun lalong-lalo na yung mga Build, Build, Build," he added.

On the part of the House, Yap said they would propose for additional calamity funds to aid those who were badly affected by typhoons Rolly and Ulysses.

"Itong calamity [funds] mapupunta ito sa mga per districts. Yung mga districts tulad ng Bulacan. Alam naman natin lubog na lubog yun," he said.

"So kung may projects na mailalagay para di na po malaubog everytime binabaha, lalo na sa Cagayan, siguro yung mga distrito nila madadagdagan namin ng project kontra sa flooding," he added.

Yap also assured that there is no "pork" in the 2021 budget bill that the bicam panel is deliberating on.

"All I can see sa budget are roads, school buildings. Kaya hindi ko siya matawag na pork," he said.

"Hopefully sa GAA mas matugunan pa po yung mga response natin sa COVID-19. So kung tatanungin niyo ako kung may pork yung budget, definitely I'm not for pork," he added. — RSJ, GMA News