Senate ends plenary debates on proposed P5.7680-T 2024 nat’l budget

The Senate on early Tuesday morning terminated its marathon plenary debates on the General Appropriations Bill that contained the proposed P5.7680 trillion national budget for next year.

On the last day of the upper chamber's marathon plenary debates which lasted for more than two weeks, the Senate approved the proposed budgets of 16 government agencies with the Commission on Human Rights' proposed P934-million budget for next year as the last to be tackled.

Sixteen out of the 24-member Senate were present when the last question on the budget item of the CHR was asked and answered such as Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito, Deputy Majority Leader Mark Villar, Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, and Sens. Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Go, Grace Poe, Bong Revilla, Win Gatchalian, and Robinhood Padilla.

During the nine-day marathon hearings, Vice President Sara Duterte decided to drop her bid for P650 million worth of confidential and intelligence funds for the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, which she both leads.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Finance, Department of Finance, and Department of Information and Communications Technology also dropped their intent to have secret funds for next year.

Meanwhile, the proposed confidential funds of the Department of Justice were also slashed from P256 million to P168 million.

At Ombudsman Samuel Martires' request, the Office of the Ombudsman likewise got a decrease in his CIF, which came down from P51 million to P1 million.

On track

The Senate is "on track" with its timeline, according to Zubiri, who wrapped up the plenary discussions on the proposed budget for the upcoming year.

"We are on track as to the schedule of passing a budget on time and as to our promise of one that funds the nation's progress and the welfare of the people," the Senate President said.

Its counterpart, the House of Representatives led by Marcos' cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez, approved the proposed national budget on second and third reading on 27 September, dispensing the three-day rule.

Angara, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, is expected to introduce amendments to the GAB, which will then be followed by the chamber's approval on second and third reading.

After the Senate approves the measure, Congress is set to hold bicameral conference committee meetings, where the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives will work to come up with a reconciled version of the GAB, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. certified as urgent last September.

Earlier this week, Angara said the Senate is targeting to approve the proposed national budget for 2024 early next week.