Fate of 2021 budget hangs

MANILA, Philippines, October 8 ------ Senators warned yesterday that the government will likely operate on a corruption-prone reenacted budget next year due to the lack of time for Congress to pass the proposed P4.5-trillion National Expenditure Program amid the leadership squabble in the House of Representatives. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the move of the House to immediately suspend session on Monday after passing the proposed 2021 budget on second reading meant that the Senate has only about four weeks to pass the same, and for both chambers to come up with a consolidated version for President Duterte’s signature before yearend.

The House was expected to pass the budget on third and final reading this week, or on Oct. 14 at the latest, and submit what is called the General Appropriations Bill to the Senate. Under the Constitution, the previous year’s budget or General Appropriations Act is deemed recycled if the spending authority for the current year is not yet enacted.

“We’re really staring at the possibility of a reenacted budget,” Sotto said told reporters via video conference. He said the various suggestions made by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano were hardly realistic. Cayetano called Sotto on Monday night and explained what transpired in the House. At the start of the brief conversation, the Speaker seemed to be unaffected by the implications of the delay and told Sotto that the House would be submitting a budget bill by Nov. 16. Sotto, however, balked and the conversation turned a bit tense.

“I asked him why not approve it on third and final reading?” Sotto said and Cayetano told him there were “amendments” coming from congressmen. Sotto said he did not press further out of parliamentary courtesy to a co-equal chamber, but added House members should have thought of ordinary Filipinos when they did what they did as a new budget is needed to fund programs to fight the pandemic and revive the economy.

A reenacted budget frees up hundreds of billions of funds for Malacañang as it contains spending provisions no longer valid for the current year, giving rise to fears of corruption and abuse, especially with the looming national and local elections. Sotto, however, said he trusts the Duterte administration not to abuse its discretion on spending.

Source: philstar.com