MANILA -- Malacañang on Wednesday urged the Senate and House of Representatives to “break the stalemate” on the proposed PHP3.757-trillion national budget for 2019 to allow its scrutiny and eventual signing.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this call after members of the two chambers met President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday night to settle differences on the General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
“We call on the Senators and Representatives to break the stalemate and deliver to the Filipino people an appropriations law that can aid this government better their lives and help our country move forward,” Panelo said in a statement.
“There is a budget impasse due to some constitutional questions raised by both chambers. Only Congress can resolve and break this impasse,” he added.
Panelo said the ball is in the Congress’ court since the Office of the President submitted the proposed budget as early as July 23, 2018, or 30 days before the deadline imposed by law.
He emphasized that Executive branch staff have even attended all committee hearings to ensure that the legislative process would be unhampered and the appropriations bill be approved on time.
Moreover, Panelo said that there was no presidential intervention made despite delays on the deliberations on the GAB, consistent with the policy of non-interference with other co-equal branches of the government.
“The Executive has performed its constitutional task to submit its proposed budget, we await Congress to comply with its constitutional mandate to pass the same,” Panelo said.
“As soon as the enrolled bill on the budget is submitted to the President, the latter will perform his constitutional duty to scrutinize it and if he finds it in conformity with the constitutional demands, he will sign it,” he added.
Meanwhile, Panelo also assured that government will continue providing public services to the public despite acting on a reenacted budget.
”We assure the nation that the administration, as we have previously stated, is prepared to cushion the impact of a reenacted budget. The delivery of public services to our countrymen will be maintained,” Panelo said.
Earlier, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said both chambers have not reached a consensus on the budget bill despite the meeting with the President.
According to Sotto, Duterte told lawmakers during the meeting that he will not sign the budget if the Senate President does not sign it.
Sotto insisted the House leadership’s move to align around PHP79 billion in the proposed 2019 budget by increasing or decreasing the funding for several districts is unconstitutional. However, the House claims the opposite.
On Monday, Duterte cautioned against prolonging the passage of the proposed 2019 budget since all Filipinos will suffer from the declining gross domestic product rate. (PNA)
