A House leadership-Duterte ‘collusion’ for 2019 ‘reenacted’ budget?

Were the House leadership and the Duterte administration colluding to have a reenacted budget in 2019? Opposition lawmakers think it would seem so.

Party-lists under the Makabayn bloc at the House of Representatives warned Thursday of a likely reenacted national budget – a scenario which has historically given the sitting President wider latitude to spend funds – next year due to delays in the passage of the expenditure program and the limited time left for Congress to approve it.

“Mukhang may sabwatan sa pagitan ng House at saka ng Malacañang para magkaroon ng isang reenacted budget,” ACTS Teachers Reps. Antonio Tinio said in a press briefing.

“At alam naman natin na pagka-reenacted budget, bentahe dyan Pangulo dahil nagiging parang pork ‘yung buong budget, nabibigyan kapangyarihan ang Pangulo na mag-realign ng malalaking bahagi ng budget except pasweldo,” he added.

On Wednesday, several senators said the government is most likely to have a reenacted budget for 2019 even if the House approved the P3.757-trillion general appropriations bill earlier than their November 26 target.

READ: Reenacted budget for 2019 most likely, say senators

If Congress fails to pass the budget or the General Appropriations Act before the end of the year, the 2018 budget will be reenacted. This situation, lawmakers noted, has in the past given the incumbent President wider self-rule to spend funds already appropriated in the current year, except for the salaries of government personnel.

Andaya, as well as House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, had already dismissed any possibility of a reenacted budget.

But Tinio criticized the final reading approval of the cash-based 2019 appropriations, saying no copies of the third reading version of House Bill No. 8169 were given to House members before it was approved.

“Bago aprubahan on third reading ano mang bill… kailangan at least three days na hawak ng myembro ‘yung final version ng bill for approval,” Tinio explained.

In order to comply with the rules, Tinio said Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. moved that the second reading version of the bill be used as the final version, a motion that was immediately approved.

“Absolute lack of transparency ang naganap sa budget process. Kaming mga ordinaryong myembro, hindi namin alam kung ano ‘yung mga amendments na ipapasok ng House lahat ng amendments will happen during the bicam (bicameral conference committee),” Tinio said.

“Absolutely nakatago ito sa publiko until ‘yung final version na lamang ang makikita nating lahat, by then it will be too late,” he lamented.

ACTS Teachers Rep. France Casto and Gabriela Rep. Emmie de Jesus also slammed the lack of transparency, as they expressed fears that the 2019 budget might be used for the 2019 midterm elections.

“The transparency talaga ‘yung nakakalungkot dito sa nagaganap sa 17th Congress,” De Jesus said.

READ: House minority to summon DBM: 2019 nat’l budget ‘might be used’ for polls

The amended copy of next year’s expenditure program was supposed to reflect the amendments made by a small committee constituted after it was approved on second reading. This should include the itemized realignment of the controversial P51.8 billion insertions, which was discovered earlier.

READ: House funnels P51.8B budget ‘insertion’ to health, agri, education

Senator Panfilo Lacson and other legislators consistently called these insertions as pork barrel allocations, which finance pet projects of lawmakers and have been a source of kickbacks.

READ: Lacson: Pork insertions stall budget

But Andaya denied the 2019 national budget was pork-laden, saying the delay in the approval of the budget was due to unusual belated requests from President Rodrigo Duterte and other Cabinet members.

READ: No pork insertions but fund requests by Duterte, Cabinet – Andaya

“The budget was approved in full compliance with all the rules, laws, and jurisprudence in authorizing appropriations and the same fidelity was exercised in crafting the provisions that will guide the budget’s implementation,” Andaya said.  /kga