By Filane Mikee Cervantes/ PNA
MANILA — Negotiators from both the Senate and the House of Representatives meet on Monday to discuss the contentious issues in the proposed 2019 national budget.
The Senate contingent, composed of Senators Loren Legarda, Panfilo Lacson, and Gregorio Honasan II, will meet with the House team – composed of Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, and San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora – in a bid to end the budget impasse.
Andaya said both chambers would present their positions on the budget issue, as he expressed hope that they could pass the spending bill before March 29.
“Ang first siguro (The first thing) is we will come up with an understanding that we will really have a new budget… Hopefully before the 29th, magkaroon na tayo ng budget (we will have an approved budget). Hinahabol natin yung (We’re trying to reach the) good weather window for the infrastructure projects. I think we will begin there in understanding that we need to pass a new budget,” Andaya told reporters.
“That’s why we want to just sit down and talk first and discuss what really happened,” he added.
Andaya, however, stressed that the House did not introduce amendments to the ratified version of the budget bill, contrary to the senators’ claims that post-ratification changes were made by the lower chamber.
“Let me clear it, walang amendment na ginawa. Everything that was printed was all within the ratified version. There’s just one version to talk about, there’s no other version na pinag-usapan (to talk about),” Andaya said.
“That’s why we have to talk about it and explain what it really contains and what it means, yun ang kailangan namin ipaliwanag sa bawat isa (that’s what we need to discuss),” he added.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III has maintained that he will not sign an enrolled copy of the budget bill for the President’s signature if the lower chamber insists on its last-minute amendments.
The government has been operating on a reenacted budget since January this year after Congress failed to pass the 2019 General Appropriations Act before 2018 ended.
