MANILA, Philippines—Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the government may have to use a rolled-over 2008 budget in January because of the disparities between the budget measures that the House and the Senate separately approved.

“We may have to reenact this year’s budget, but it all depends on the ongoing bicameral conference today,” Zubiri said.

If the bicameral meet is not able to reconcile the differences between the two versions, then the budget cannot be approved on Wednesday, the last session day, Zubiri said. The House and the Senate go on a month-long holiday recess starting Thursday.

“In that scenario, definitely we will have a reenacted budget in January, but only for the first two weeks,” said Zubiri who spoke to reporters after meeting with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Speaker Prospero Nograles and other congressional leaders in Malacañang.

Oversight body

Following the first meeting of the bicameral conference to reconcile the conflicting provisions of the separate budget bills Tuesday, the committee approved a proposal by Sen. Edgardo Angara to create an oversight body to regularly monitor the implementation of the 2009 budget.

“It would monitor if the money is properly spent, to avoid the unauthorized movement of funds, especially in departments with lump sum budgets,” said party-list member Satur Ocampo.

The Senate late Monday passed the P1.415-trillion proposed national budget for 2009. The House approved its version in November.

House Majority Leader Arthur Defensor said he hoped the budget could be ratified before the year ends.

“There seems to be no immediate obstacle,” Defensor told reporters.

Stimulus fund

But he said that if the 2008 budget is rolled over for the first few months of the year, he did not see any major disruption of government operations.

He said Congress would work throughout the first few weeks of the new year to make sure the budget is passed early.

Angara, chair of the Senate finance committee, said the Senate version included a P10-billion “economic stimulus fund,” a provision not contained in the House version.