House willing to extend session to finish 2019 budget – Pichay

The House of Representatives is willing to extend its session days until December 19 to finish the Duterte administration’s P3.757-trillion budget for 2019.

House Deputy Speaker Prospero Pichay Jr. said this on Monday after Senate President Vicente Sotto III said they might ask the lower chamber to work beyond their December 14 scheduled Christmas break.

“Well, if they extend, so we also extend dahil aantayin natin matapos yung Bicam (bicameral conference committee). Pagkatapos ng Bicam kailangan mapirmahan ng Pangulo para hindi natin ma-re-enact ‘yung budget,” Pichay said in a press briefing.

“So, if the Senate requested na hanggang December 19, I’m sure that by December 19 we will be able to ratify the budget,” he added.

Earlier in the day, House appropriations panel Senior Vice Chairman Maria Carmen Zamora said they target to pass on final reading the General Appropriations Bill on November 28.

READ: House to approve 2019 nat’l budget on November 28 – panel exec

But Sotto said this target date is too late for the Senate to finish the budget.

“They have to do better than that and submit earlier,” Sotto added. /je

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