w"dtt"tduv, O ctober 2, 2ol9
House submits P4.,lI 2020
budget to Senate br scrutiny
Br ,o\ rr MAR|F N. DtL^CRU7 t GDjov??marip
* BurcH FenN,c.Norz, @butchfBM
HE House of Representatives
on Tuesday formally
submitted to the Sertate the
proposed P4.l-trillion national
budget for 2020.
Deputy Speaker Neptali Gonza-
les Ilsaidthe Senate cannowscruti-
nize the next year's appropriations,
which contained P9.5 billion in re-
alignments as the lower chamber's
institutional amendments.
"This morning the GABwasfor-
mally transmitted to the Senate.It
will allow it to be included on First
Readingforreferral to their Finance
Committee, which in turn can de-
liberate on it during the break," he
said,
The Senate Finance Commit-
tee .ommitted to work overtime
in scrutinizing the budget bill to
fast-track Congress approval of the
annual money measure.
Confirming receipt of the
House-approved version of the
budget bill, Sen. Juan Edgardo
Angara, who chairs the Finance
committee, vowed to promptlyfin-
ish the task in time for President
Duterte to sign the finalvereion of
the annual money measure before
year-end to avert government op-
erating under a reenacted budget
by January 1.
A budget standoff on the 209
moneymeasure earlier pushedback
by four months the signing of this
year's budget, adversely impacting
growth and government spending.
"Our finance subcommittees
are completing the hearings on
the proposed budgets of the last
few agencies," Angara said, adding
$ pr\q.s -AFa'
that during the congqessionalbreak
(from October 5 io November3),
"we will be consolidating all of the
submissions into the cornmittee re-
port and once we resume sessions
lon November 4], we will be ready
to sponsor the bill in plenary."
Valid,legal '":
MEANWHILE, Representative
Gonzales also i,i,suredthe public the
proposed national.budlet is valid,
legal and conititutional.
'Again and again, we contend
that it is a poik-f{e€ budget as we
strictly confined oiirsel.ves to the
decision of the Supreme Court
which declared the PDAF uncon-
stitutional and prohibited the
post-enactment'identification of
projects. Now, the Senate can fi-
nally see for themsdlves," he said.
"Thiswillallowthe Senate to in-
clude the 648 on first reading for
referral to their finance commit-
tee, which in turn can liberate on
it during the break," the lawmaker
said in a statemeot.
Earlier, SpeakdrAlan Peter Cay-
etano rejected S€h. Panf ilo Lacson's
allegation that the House planned
to allocate an additional P1.5 bil-
lionin fundsloeachofits 22 deputy
speakers and P700 million to its
300 members.
Meanwhile, the House clarified
thattherewas no P456-million cut
in the proposedbudget ofthe Phil-
ippin6 Qeneral Hospital (PGH) for
2020, as claimed by Senate Presi-
dent Pro Tempore Ralph Recto.
House Committee on PublicAc-
counts Chairman Anakalusugan
Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor said
the chamber in fact even augment-
ed PGH'sbudgetby P500 million in
its institutional amendments on
the GAB.
"There was no such cut in the
budget of PGH made by Congress.
What I know is we even increased
the budget of PGH," he said.
2020 budget
EARLIER, President Duterte cer-
tified as urgent the 2020 national
budget in a bid to ensure its timely
passage andprevent a repeat ofthe
delay in the passage of. the 2019
budget.
The 2020 national budget pf
P4.1 trillion, which is cash-based,
is 11.8 percent more than the
2019 budget and will constitute
19,4percent ofthe country's gross
domestic product.