Senate prodded Senate prodded to reveal pork
to reveal pork Records of the bicanieral deliberations on the national budget would
By Hananeel Bordey
and Kristina Maralit
show that the fourth book was a condition put forward by the House
of Representatives during the initial stage of the bicam
When the 2 019 General
Appropriations Act (GAA) is approved Eom page I programs and projects of the senators they
by Presideni Roddgo Duterte before
the Holy Week break, it will be the Malacaiang yesterilay, ending months of
most, transparent GAA ever due to impasse caused by back-and-fofth accusations
four volumes ol supporting books, a thtown by both chambers of Congress
first in an annual budget. against each other over alleged insertions
After months of delay, President and questionable realignments, which forced
Ii0drigo Dutefte the national government to Operate on a
is set to sign the reenacted budget at the start of the year.
2 019 General It would be th€ first time the national
Appropriations, budget will contain details 0f budget items
Bill (CAB) on 16, in compliance to a 2013 Supreme Court (SC)
April, before the i ruling decladng the Priority Development
government goes \l Assistance Fund (PDAF) unconstitutional
on a Holy Week g along with other lumpsum appropriations.
break, 'Records of the bicaneral deliberatiOns
This was Ht{ on the national budget would show that the
fourth book was a condition put forward by
;r";'.Ti$lJI the House of Representatives dudng the initial
released by stage of the bicam (Bicameral Conference
\n fun to page 2 Committee) and accepted by the tenate
contingent," House Appbpdations Committee
chairman Rep. Rolando Ardaya Jr. said.
The public release of the new budget
law will leave our esteemed senators
no choice but to identify their
inilividual realignments.
Specifying the projects and programs
the fourth book containing all
made by lawmakers from
chambers will force the senators
their amendments.
from High Court
public release of the new
law will leave our esteemed
no choice but to identify their
vidual realignments,
which found print in the
GAA (General
AcO.
doing so can
be made
the pet
'drzstr,
AQc "
voted into office,' Andaya explained.
This was c0nsistent with l{ouse efforts to
make the budget transparent and accountable
by itemizing the projects and programs in the
expenditure plan, a process which the Senate
rejected.
The SC's ruling directed lawmakers to
adopt a 'detailed' line-item budgeting to
justify the appropriations to the president
who will approve the programs and projects.
"We agree with the High Court's decision
as line-item budgeting clearly spells out
the specific projects to be giYen allocation
and where these projects shall be located,'
Andaya said.
Mr. Dutede will affix his signature to
the Foposed P3.75?-tdllion expenditure in a
ceremony to be held in the Palace 0n Monday
afl,ernoon.
This was consistent with House
efforts to make the budget
transparent and accountable.
The President, as is his practice in previous
years, is expected t0 veto certain GAB
provisions, although it was not clear which
stipulaiions, whether the P?5-billion "pork
barrel' allocated for public works, would be
affected.
A copy of the 2018 GAB was sent to
Malacaflang last 26 March following th€
deadlock between the Senate and llouse of
Represent atives.
Both chambers engaged in a standoff due
to alleged poshatification amendments d0ne
by the House in the charter which the Senate
viewed as unconstitutional.
It will lapse into law 30 days after receipt
if the Chief Executive fails to act on it.
TrNnspa.rency committed
Andaya explained the move in the budgeta,ry
process was their response to public deriund
for transparency and accountability,
The lump sums are more Prone to
corruption and may violate the tenets of
expenditure of public funds, he