Palace won’t pressure Congress to pass 2019 nat’l budget

MANILA, Philippines — There is no need to pressure Congress to pass the P3.757 trillion national budget for 2019, Malacañang said Thursday, a week after Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said any delay would be “unacceptable.”  

Panelo disclosed that he met with Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who assured him that the budget is “almost passed.”

READ: Palace urges Congress to set aside partisan politics, pass 2019 budget

The government is operating on a reenacted budget after Congress failed to pass the 2019 national budget due to allegations of “insertions” and questionable allocations.

“I was with the Speaker Arroyo, she mentioned that most likely it will pass. She said it’s almost passed,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

Asked if the Palace will pressure Congress to step up, the Palace official said there was no need for it.

“There’s no need. I am sure they will be passing it. They are all concerned with the services, the infrastructures that will be affected,” he said.

Panelo said the 219 budget could be passed next month.

“I heard it’s on February. Most like first or second week of February,” he said. /je