President may call for special session to finish 2019 budget – Diokno

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will recommend to President Rodrigo Duterte calling for a special session to pass the proposed P3.8-trillion national budget in 2019, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Wednesday.

Diokno noted that it is possible for the President to call for a special session since Congress will adjourn its session on Thursday and will resume on January 14.

“What’s the possibility for a special session? That’s entirely possible because today they will meet at a joint session to discuss the extension of martial law and tomorrow they will adjourn,” said in a forum.

“So there’s a possibility that the President may call for a special session sometime next week to finish the budget…We will recommend to the president that he calls for a special session. It could be sooner, it could be on Friday,” Diokno said in a forum.

Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri earlier said that it is “quite impossible” for the Senate to pass the 2019 budget before it adjourns its session.

He said that the upper chamber could at least finish the period of interpellations by Thursday unless the President calls for a special session.  /muf

READ: Zubiri: ‘Quite impossible’ for Senate to pass 2019 budget