Majority Floor Leader Representative Rolando Andaya Jr. assured that the House of Representatives and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will arrive at a consensus on the proposed 2019 budget by adopting both cash-based and obligation-based systems.
However, he also revealed in a press briefing on Wednesday that the original 2019 budget was already a “hybrid” or combination of the two systems even before the reported squabbles.
“Actually if you look at the proposal from the executive, it’s not strictly a cash-based (budgeting), it’s moving towards a cash-based budget […] but ‘yong pag-formulate mismo ng budget, it was still done under an obligation based system,” Andaya explained.
“In a sense, hybrid talaga siya, it’s not a full cash-based system, it’s a first step towards a cash-based system,” he added.
Lawmakers have been opposed to the idea of an obligation-based budgeting but DBM Secretary Benjamin Diokno and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque have been adamant in saying that the executive branch would not bend to the demands, with both saying that they would just wait for a “friendlier Congress”.
The stalled House budget hearings prompted Roque to remind Congress that they are allies while Diokno even said that lawmakers may prefer an obligation-based budgeting because they want to implement more projects, as it is an election year.
READ: Budget standoff: ‘We’re your allies,’ Palace reminds House
Andaya refuted Diokno’s claims, saying that it is because there is a small window to implement projects.
“Not because mag-e-eleksyon gusto natin ng mas malaki. Hindi, it’s because dahil may eleksyon at may election ban, hindi mo ma-i-implementa ang project na iyan,” he explained.
Earlier, Andaya relayed that President Rodrigo Duterte told him and Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that he was not involved in the statements from officials of the executive.
“Unfortunate statements were uttered by various parties referring to reenacted budget, friendlier Congress, this and that, were not authorized by the president,” Andaya said.
“I personally spoke to him, he did not utter those words. Let’s leave it at that, I think the president has opened the lines of communication on a possible agreement on the how the budget for 2019 will be executed,” he added.
READ: Duterte does not meddle in budget word war, says solon
Andaya also said he will recommend the resumption of hearings once issues are ironed out.
“I think I can suggest […] that we now continue the budget hearings, clear naman yung instructions ng Presidente. So over the break, we will resume and likewise it is a gesture of a hand of cooperation to the DBM and the Senate,” he said.
“Cooperation has been established and we would like to ask our Members to refrain muna tayo from issuing statements which might not be in pursuance of cooperation,” he requested. /vvp