Reenacted budget looms

The government was forced to operate on a reenacted budget for months since the passage of the 2019 budget was delayed due to various issues.

The government might operate on a reenacted budget for the first week of January as the budget bill may not be signed by President Rodrigo Duterte this December.

In a radio interview on Saturday, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said there might be a delay on the enactment of the budget because it may take sometime to finish the printing of the budget bill.

Sotto said the latest the President could sign the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) is on 6 January.

“Hindi agad mapipirmahan ng presidente, ang tagal ng printing. The latest will be January 6.”

“Yun ang suspetsa namin na pinakamabilis na matapos ang printing kasi may mga holidays. May weekend.”

On the possibility that the government would operate on a reenacted budget, Sotto said: “Yes. Pero halos balewala yun.”

Section 5, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution states that if the government fails to pass the GAB by the end of any fiscal year, the General Appropriations Act for the preceding year shall be deemed reenacted until the GAB is passed.

This year, the government was forced to operate on a reenacted budget for months since the passage of the 2019 budget was delayed due to various issues, including alleged parked funds and last minute insertions.

The President was able to sign the 2019 budget only in April.

Meanwhile, on the alleged last minute insertions, the senator said he has already talked with Senator Panfilo Lacson and Department of Budget and Management Secretary Wendel Avisado.

“Alam na ni presidente. Kausap ko na si Senator Lacson and si Avisado. Alam na ni presidente di na kailangan ng annotation.”

He refused to divulge details of his conversation with the officials but he said he has raised the concerns of the senators with them.

“Whatever action the executive department does, it’s them,” he added.

Earlier, Lacson accused lawmakers at the House of Representatives of realigning P83 billion worth of projects before the Bicameral Conference Committee approved the spending bill.