i THE PHILIPPINE SIAR
I MARCH 6, 2019 :,
By PAOLo RoMERO
The Senate and the House of Representativ€s lopy
could be headed for another showdown over the
alleged last-minute insertions in the P3.7-trillion something. Wha(s important is we have senators allegedly could not make itemized
Ceniral Appropriations Bill (GAB).
Senate Piesiilent Vicente Sotto III said
he will not sien the enrolled copv of the
nrooosed national budeet - whith is still -
beirlg printed before its transmittal to
Malacaflang for President'Duterte's sig-
nature - if he finds changes made after its
ratification by Congress lasi Feb.8.
"l will nol sign anything that we did
not aDorove. You should know me bet-
ter thlir that," Sotto totd reporters when
asked whetfier or not he will sign the
enrolled copy of the CAB.
Sotto said he will consult with Sen.
Loren Leqalda chair ofthe Senate finance
committe"e and Sen. Panfilo Lacsory who
earlier alleeed that House leaders were
makine ch"anses to the GAB before its
printin"g evenifter the two chambers had
ratified it.
Lacson vesterdav warned that the
amendmen6beingmide to the CAB would
violate the Constitution and Sotto would be
complicit if he signs the measure before it is
hansmifted to Malacaians.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalia; chairman of the
economic affairs committ€e, said the GAB
should not be touched an;nnore as it was
already ratified.
"W6're co-eoual branches so we must
be vigilant if tliere were changes made,"
Gatchalian maintained.
"For example, there were some provi-
sions changed and jfs not in our records,
that will cr6ate problems; actually that can
Geate a constj tutional impasse if (the House
version is) different from (ours in the Sen-
ate)" he said.
news
Gatchalian said legislative records can
serve as referenc€ to see whether theorinted No detailed'pork' Villa{uerte said the clelay has t-rnly
is the same as tlre CAB ratihed hv But key member of the House shot :epened sttspicions that underhandeo
a
Congress. at Lacson and admitted that the delav was ty-[[Ll #trunu Place during
"We re not accusing (anyone) of doing due to their itemization of projects, where this congressional break to ensure that billions in I
budgetary ou-tlays are realigned or padded to the
the same records," he said. allocations. pork funds of favored lawm-akers.', '
Gatchalian warned that delavs in the "Wehavebeen insistins to our friends in
enactment of the p'roposed budg'et would the Senate to fullv discloie the aulhorshio Arroyo denies inanipulaff ori
adversely affect the country's growth this and details of th6 Senate amendments t'o Arroyo has denied manipulating the budget,
year, the budget " Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando
He suggested that Malacafiang prod the Andaya Jr., chairman of theHousecommit- presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said
__
House to transmit the GAB for si-giring. tee on appropriations, said. yesterday.
"If the procedure being undertaken "According to Speaker Arroyq as far as she
'Glearly [nconstltutlonal' by the House is illegaf then the Senate is knows, whatever id approved in the (bicameral
Lacson yesterday described as "dearly equdly guilty if on its part it had not item- conference) is now the one being prinied for sub-
unconstitufional" th'e atleeed rcalisnment df ized the pet amendments on the budget bv mission to the executive," Panelo told reporters in
ihe 2019 national budgeiireporteily on or- the senators.
ders of Speaker GloriiMacd'oasal-Anovo. "!Ve believe that by detailine the items Yalacafiang.,- With Ceci.lle Suerte Felipe
Delon Porc-alla, Alexis Rbmero
Lacsoir said Arrovo and o'thCr memb'ers in the bud get, by enurirerating r.rihat will be
qfllhe House of Relrresentatives have no funded, proiects and programs, per agency
-
business manipulahng the ratiffed bicamer- and by distiict, will 6e d6ar and eviJent r'
t'F4q-e,
al report on the P3.757-fillion 2019national Andaya declared. "A{ter all, transparencv "g,n
budget prior to the printing and enrollment and aicountabilitv is the name of thd same.i'
of the GAB. While Housimembers have sf,owed
"Needless to say, and iiisbasjcin ourles- their itemized list of allocations in the spirit
islative process thdt the Hou se as a bodv his of transparency, the 23-member Senatchas
the sole power to make the amendnients, yet to itemize its Pl90-billion oork barrcl
not the Speaker, and certainly not after the illocation for this vear.
ratjfication of the bicameralriport " Lacson The senators illotted about P190 bil,
maintained. lion for themselves while the 292-member
"speaker Arroyo has no business and House came out with a P51-billion budget
legal authori$ to prepare and impose the in thrs year's national budgei,
menu list of the fDeiartment of'Health)
"Th'e House is itemizing the appro-
appropriations for Health Facilities En- priations therein flushing oit lump-sum
hancement Program worth P25 million
funds, without departing from the ap-
in individual allocations for her favored proved specifications of the House-Senatc
congressmer! including a P2.Fmillion al-
approved budget and by so doing (the
location for the purchase of an ambulance, budget is) more transparent and eisy to
while onlv P8 riri ion is beine distributed
scruthrize, " Andaya said.
to those *ho did.not supporiher election This developld as Andaya's fellow
- -
as speaker," he noted. Camarines Sur lara'maker Rep. LRay Vrl-
Iafuerte decried the undue delay ii the
transmittal of the GAB.