MANILA -- Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday said his suggestion to revert to the ratified version of the proposed 2019 national budget was "favorably endorsed" by members of the executive department to President Rodrigo Duterte.
In a statement, Lacson refuted House Majority Leader Fredenil Castro's claim that his proposal to retain the lump sum appropriations in the bicameral report and just allow the President to itemize the projects "did not sit well" with Duterte.
Lacson made the proposal during the congressional leaders' meeting with President Duterte Tuesday night, in which no consensus was reached to resolve the ongoing budget impasse between the two chambers of Congress.
"Not true. Instead, my suggestion didn’t sit well with the congressmen. Executive Secretary (Salvador) Medialdea and Finance Secretary (Carlos) Dominguez in fact favorably endorsed my suggestion to President Rodrigo Duterte as a practical and logical approach to break the impasse," Lacson said.
Lacson said he informed the President about the House of Representatives' move to substantially slash the PHP72.319-billion from the Department of Public Works and Highways' appropriations for the agency’s Major Final Output (MFO) 1 and 2, which will have negative implications on the government’s "Build, Build, Build" program.
"What was obvious last night is that the suggestion didn’t sit well with the congressmen because they cannot be sure if all their realignments will be adopted. It’s all about their pork, not mindful if they will be derailing the flagship projects of the government," Lacson said.
Castro said House appropriations committee chairman Rolando Andaya Jr. had reservations in retaining the bicam version of the budget bill with lump sum appropriations as this would be "unconstitutional."
Senate President Vicente Sotto III, in a text message, defended Lacson's proposal, saying there is nothing unconstitutional about it.
Sotto noted that what was unconstitutional is the House's alleged move to introduce last-minute amendments to the 2019 budget after both chambers of Congress ratified the bicameral conference committee report.
"Cong. Andaya indeed said that but we said it was not, and what they were doing was the one that was unconstitutional," Sotto said.
Sotto also noted that the President did not say no to the proposal, further adding that Medialdea and Dominguez even agreed to it.
Sotto earlier said Duterte told lawmakers that he will not sign the budget if the Senate leader does not sign it.
Sotto stressed that he would not sign the enrolled copy of the budget bill containing the post-bicam amendments made by the House as it would violate the Revised Penal Code and the Constitution. (PNA)
