The 17th Congress will try to break the budget impasse on or before March 29 so it could finally transmit the 2019 General Appropriations Bill for President Duterte’s signature, a leader of the House of Representatives said on Monday.
House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Rolando Andaya Jr. said Congress should pass the P3.757-trillion national budget for this year as soon as possible as the summer months are the most opportune time for implementing infrastructure projects.
The lower chamber’s three-man team, which includes Andaya, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman and San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora, has started its 5-day meeting with Sens. Loren Legarda, Panfilo Lacson and Gringo Honasan to break the standoff between the two chambers.
The Executive branch—represented by the Department of Budget and Management—attended the first meeting.
“We will really have a new budget; we want to hurry it up. Hopefully, before the 29th we will have the budget. We [want to take advantage of the] good weather window for the infrastructure projects,” Andaya told reporters.
“We were able to explain both our sides in a very conducive manner for understanding and hopefully we will come to an agreement by tomorrow [Tuesday]. [But] We’ll still have succeeding meetings,” he added.
According to Andaya, they have the list of specific items and other concerns that would be clarified during their meetings to fast track the transmittal of the national budget to the Palace.
“There are fillers to identify the areas which we need to, not really to come up with an agreement but more to explain further position of both sides, but the atmosphere inside is very positive, very friendly,” he added.
The lawmaker said the lower house only itemized the lump-sum fund and did not change the things that were agreed upon during the bicameral conference committee.
“Everything that was printed was all within the ratified version. There’s just one version to talk about. There’s no other version. That’s why we have to talk about it and explain what it really contains and what it means,” said Andaya.
“What was approved in the bicam reports through these years are all lump sum, you can never do the details without approving first the whole amount, so you approve first the whole amount, and then that’s when both houses provide the details of whatever lump sum they’ve approved, since 1987, that has been the practice,” he added.
But the lawmaker admitted they have yet to discuss the two houses’ positions on the lump-sum funds.
“For now, we have agreed to set aside discussions on the lump-sum funds. We just agreed to move forward,” he said.
Budget process
Andaya said the lower chamber will try to explain to the Senate that the process of crafting the budget has been the same since 1987.
With this, he expressed hope that the Senate will agree with the lower chamber on its position that there is nothing illegal in post-bicameral itemization of lump-sum funds.
“It has been the procedure throughout the years and what has been the practice throughout the years. That’s why we have two veteran congressmen who are here; we have Rep. (Edcel) Lagman, who’s been there since 1987, so he knows the process and we also have Rep. Zamora, who’s also been there from the beginning in various capacities as majority leader, as minority, as executive secretary. I think we’re stacked with knowledge and experience so we can further explain the position of the House,” he said.
Lagman said the common agenda of the two chambers is to immediately submit to President Duterte the money measure.
“The bilateral objective [is] to have this 2019 national budget sent to Malacañang for the President signature, the soonest possible time without further delay,” Lagman said in an interview.
“The dialogue is in progress and we are going to meet again Tuesday night at 7 p.m., the Senate panel will have to talk with the Senate President so hopefully by Tuesday night we could resolve the impasse. As long as we are talking, then there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.