Senators doubt okay of P3.7-T budget by Dec. 12

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. INQUIRER.NET / CATHY MIRANDA

There may not be enough time for the Senate to approve the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for next year if the House of Representatives would pass the budget bill by November 28.

“That is too late,” Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto IIII said in a text message when sought for comment on Monday.

“I’m afraid we might not be able to finish on time. They have to do better than that and submit earlier,” Sotto added.

The House leadership has set Nov. 28 as its target to approve the bill and pass it onto the Senate.

READ: P3.76-T nat’l budget will be approved on time, House assures Senate

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri echoed the same concern, saying the target approval in the House would be “more difficult” for the Senate to approve it by December 12.

“The submission of the GAB (General Appropriation Bill) ‪on Nov. 28 will definitely make it more difficult for the Senate to finish the discussion and approval of the Budget on or before the ‪Dec. 12 deadline,” Zubiri said in a separate message to reporters.

“We will be cramming on the budget if we stick to the six session days left to us by the delay,” he said.

Instead of extending its sessions for another week before the Christmas break, Zubiri said he would propose to extend its work week from Monday to Friday, instead of the regular Monday to Wednesday work-week only.

Congress is set to go on Christmas break on December 14.

“Hopefully that solution would be sufficient for us to discuss thoroughly and intelligently the budgets of each department of government,” Zubiri said. /cbb