Sotto: Senate doing its ‘best’ to pass 2019 national budget

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III assured the public on Tuesday that the Senate is doing its “best” to pass the 2019 national budget.

“The Senate is doing its best considering the predicament they [House of Representatives] painted us in,” Sotto said in a message sent to reporters.

Sotto was referring to the House’s late submission of the 2019 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

“Except the HOR transmitted the GAB to us one month late,” he said.

Sotto earlier questioned why the anomalies in the budget were being tackled by the House just now but added that other senators may also raise their concerns on the issue.

READ: Sotto to House: ‘Why tackle budget issues just now?’

The Senate failed to approve the 2019 budget last year but it it expects President Rodrigo Duterte to sign the budget in February. /ee

READ: Senators eye Duterte signing of 2019 budget by February