Extended outlay risks veto

Senate suspends session next week due to budget bicam, SEA Games.

The Palace raised the possibility of a veto on the bill extending the validity of this year’s national budget until the end of 2020 if President Rodrigo Duterte considers it to be in conflict with the cash-based scheme, Malacañang said on Thursday.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the bill may go counter to Executive Order (EO) 91, which ordered the shift to a cash budgeting system to speed up the utilization of public funds.

Under a cash-based budget system, appropriations must be used only until the end of a fiscal year.

The Senate and House of Representatives both passed a bill which prolongs the availability of the 2019 outlay until the end of next year.

The House approved House Bill 5437 on 18 November while the Senate adopted the House version of the bill on 26 November without amendments.

Panelo said all measures, including the bill which extends the validity of the 2019 budget, should comply with EO 91.

Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate expect a quick proceeding of the Bicameral Conference Committee (BCC) when it convenes today to draft the final version of the P4.1 trillion 2020 national budget or the General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

The BCC will be led by Senate Finance Committee chairman Sonny Angara and House Appropriations chairman Isidro Ungab.

The Senate contingent will be represented by Panfilo Lacson, Cynthia Villar, Pia Cayetano, Sherwin Gatchalian, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Richard Gordon, Imee Marcos, Joel Villanueva, Ralph Recto, Nancy Binay, Grace Poe, Franklin Drilon, Kiko Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros.

The House of Representatives will be represented by Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, Deputy Speaker for Finance Luis Raymund Villafuerte, Deputy Speakers Neptali Gonzales II and Aurelio Gonzales, Representatives Joey Salceda, Jesus Crispin Remulla, Elenita Ermita-Buhain, Jack Duavit and 14 other congressmen.

The two panels expressed confidence that they are on track in preventing another reenacted budget and that the GAB will be approved by President Rodrigo Duterte on time.

Disagreements between the House and the Senate during the BCC proceedings resulted in the delay of the 2019 budget’s signing.

The government operated on a reenacted budget in the first quarter due to allegations of pork insertions.

Rep. Isidro Ungab is expecting a smooth process during the bicam’s deliberations on the P4.1 trillion national budget since the bill carries an endorsement from the President.

On 27 November, the Senate passed its version of the GAB. The House of Representatives passed its version of the bill last 20 September.

“I personally foresee a smooth BCC hearing considering that both houses want to approve the 2020 budget and signed by the President before the Christmas break,” Ungab told Daily Tribune.

He said the bicam will start with the House contingent reviewing the Senate’s GAB version.

The leaders of the 18th Congress earlier vowed to pass on time the budget bill to prevent a repeat of the delay in the enactment of the 2019 national budget.

The Senate announced the suspension of its plenary sessions next week to pave the way for the BCC discussion on the 2020 national budget and due to the road closures in view of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

“We are not having a session on Monday because it is Pasay City Day. Then Tuesday and Wednesday would have the BCC meetings and the members of Senate (contingent) are 15 members. So, if they will attend, we will probably have no quorum,” Senate Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri explained in a Viber message.

“There are a lot of road closures due to the SEA Games such as in the World Trade (Center), PICC (Philippine International Convention Center) and SM MoA (Mall of Asia). That’s why the leadership decided that we just adjourn till the 9th (of December),” he added.

The 30th SEA Games will be opening officially on Saturday and some sporting events will be conducted near the vicinity of the Senate.

Meanwhile, the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives will be convening today to tackle the P4.1 trillion national budget for the fiscal year 2020.

The members of the Congress will deliberate and debate on the disagreeing provisions of each House’s budget version during the BCC.