Palace: Duterte won’t ask for Congress special session to finish 2019 budget

MANILA, Philippines —President Rodrigo Duterte will not call for a special session for Congress to finish deliberations on the proposed P3.7-trillion national budget for 2019, Malacañang said Friday.

“The President will not be calling for a special session on the request of the Senate,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

“Senate members told the President through, I think (Budget) Secretary (Ben) Diokno, that it’s physically impossible for them to hold a session because it ended yesterday. And there are many activities that require the attention of the members of Congress,” he added.

The Senate adjourned its session on Thursday without passing the 2019 budget.

Congress will go on Christmas break and will resume on January 14, 2019.

READ: Senate goes on Christmas break without passing 2019 budget

The Senate almost completed tackling the budgets of various agencies except for a some major departments like the Department of Tourism and the Department of Public Works and Highways, which proposed 2019 budget has been in question for alleged “insertion” of P75 billion.

Senators have earlier blamed the House of Representatives for the delay in passing the proposed 2019 national budget due to the alleged unfinished “pork barrel.” /kga

READ: Lacson says ‘pork’ delaying 2019 budget approval