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Tuesdav, 12 March 2019

DailY Tribun6

SOTTO DARES HOUSE LEADERS;

By Mario J. Mallari
Senate President Vicente Sotto
IIIyesterday dared leaders of the
House 0f Representatives to sign and
transmit the P3.767-trillion propose4
2019 budgei measure they allegedly
*manipulated" after its ratification
: to insert billions of "pork barrel" if
they believe it is legal.
In a chance jnterr'iew at the Senate,
""tr'";ilil'ioli
S0tt0 stressed he would rather have
'they did was legal then they should sign and send. A{cording to- Sotto, he was, assured by the
itto us here.,.iliat's the challenge, sigri it or asked Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring
the spea.ker to sign it then send it to us," said sotto. otrice (LBRMO), Senate fi'inance oommittee chait
sotio stressed that if some leaders of the Loren Legarda, and even Lacson that the senate
House of Representatives insist on the alleged did nOi do anlthing with the latified budget bill.
realignment of P?9 billion in the ratified budget uAfter we ratified, there was no mOre changes
measure, he would raiher have the proposed on the part ofthe Senate," said Sotto'
legislation axchived and wajt for the next Congless. Just like Lacson, he cited,information relayed
-]"iff*ld fdi ;; ilze tta, it witt te arcf,iveo to him by congressman-membem of his pafv, the
if ihey do not agree,.. then we will just approve Nationalist,.People's Coalition (NPC), regarding
a supplemental budgetrr' gotto .utd. the supposed changes being made to ihe raiified
*-. budget measure by.House^--^ l^^,t^ni
leaders.

,
\ I'iae"t If th"y ;iri"k tLt ,"r,ti ir,"v aia ** -
T*L*t buddjt.irnpasse,.sehate Minoritv 1

",tri,"iithan sign
measure archived legal ihen thei shoull sign and send it Leader Flanklin Drilon^ c-alled.on Congress t0 l

it in violation of thC ;"; ir;;;. reconsider the apploval ofthe bldget measure,and i

I
. Constitution.
"ff they Fo r s en. pa nr' o
*manipulated' budget measure is
Lacso n, s isni ns rh e #?H:i*Xi"lflili?i".::t#:ffi :iT$:":'":
t h i.n k tantamountDrilon stressed the Senate will not allow any
that to fa.lsification ofihe rec0rds of legi.slative process revisiQn to the ratified P3,757 trillion proposed
what - stressing the Houla members made changes natiOnal budgqt measure without going through
to the ratified version ofthe natiQnal budget. the bicameral conference committee.
-We will be outtins our Senate .President in -
''''--''
a precarious siiuatioi if we allow him to sign As far as wc're concerned, we did not
it,; Lacson said, l

"Ihat iis faJsification ofthe records of le$slative

nrocess. That is nubijc document." he also
,\ Sotto mainiained rhai the Senate did noi
realigl a single ceptay,o {rom Lhe ral,ified
geneial appropriations bill.
0n the other hand, Sottq and Lacson
claimed that the House of Representatives
.is attenpting to realign more than
billion from the ratifiod budget
' "Asfar asue'rc concemo4 *ddid nottouch
$
- arytfring.TheSeoatedidn.ttouchargiingmnhay
to what the Holse.Appopriations chainnan
Rolardo Ardara,h) js saying;'said Sotto.
said. 'lf rhey really wanl lo d0 this and say' wc are
realigning our share 0f thP pork barrel - let's cq:ll a-,
spade a spade - Iet's reconsider fte appr{iva.l ofthe
bican repo$ recoruene fie bicam, come up wil,h a new
ratified report, ardhave it printed," explained Ddlon
"You cannOt just revise and alter what was
P70 approved in the bicam," he added.
measure. Ihe Senate Minoriff Leader maintained thai as
long asthe budgetmeasue is noiyet signedby Senate ^PAqa'
(Rep.
President Vicente Sotto m ard ll6use Speaker Gloda
An0y0,1he poposedlegislation could stillbe recalled t\,
ard taclded in the recorwened bicarneral conmittee