House to force Senate to itemize 2019 national budget

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives is pushing for having the 2019 national budget itemized instead of tackling the request of Senate President Vicente Sotto III for a reenacted budget.

“Pipilitin sila ng House of Representatives. We will cross the bridge when we get there. Subalit ngayon, malakas ang paninindigan ng mababang kapulungan,” Castro said at the Saturday Forum at Annabel’s Restaurant in Quezon City.

[The House of Representatives will force the senators to do this. We will cross the bridge when we get there. But for now, the lower chamber is firm in its stand.]

“In the spirit of accountability and transparency, kailangan i-line item itong lahat. Hindi papayag ang mababang kapulungan sa reenacted budget dahil sa hindi maganda ang epekto nito sa ekonomiya,” Castro added.

[In the spirit of accountability and transparency, everything has to itemized per line. The lower chamber will not allow a reenacted budget because its effect on the economy will not be good.]

Sotto previously said that he would request for a reeenacted budget because of allegations of pork being inserted in the proposed 2019 national budget.

“Considering the numerous allegations being leveled at the 2019 budget both from the HOR [House of Representatives] and the Senate, I will propose to Sen. Loren [Legarda], as chair of the finance committee, to withdraw the Senate GAB version and go for a reenacted budget,” he said.

READ: ‘Sick and tired’ of pork talk, Sotto moves for reenacted budget

Castro said Senate had not provided details of the “institutional amendments” worth P190 billion, as revealed by Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr.

“Kaya nga hinihingi ng contingent ng House of Representatives ang amendments na kanilang in-introduce para malaman san pupunta ito. Nasa line items ba ito? Nai-divide na ba ito sa beneficiaries? At para sa ano? San pupunta?” he said.

[That’s why the contingent from the House of Representatives is asking the amendments they will introduce so we will where they’re headed for. Are these in the line items? Have they been divided among their beneficiaries? And for what? Where are the funds going?]

According to Andaya, lump-sum amendments introduced by the Senate exceeded P190 billion, while the House of Representatives’ proposals involved only P51 billion.

Castro also speculated that the P190 billion lump sump could amount to P7 billion per senator.

“Ano yan? Pork barrel o institutional amendments?” Castro said. “Lump sum nga lahat eh. Hindi nga malaman kung san dadalhin, kung saan gagastusin.”

[What is that? Pork barrel or institutional amendments? Everything is in a lump sum. There’s no way of knowing where the funds are going, where they’re going to be spent.]]

READ: Lacson slams pork insertions by senators

Sen. Panfilo Lacson revealed that each House member would get P160 million — not just P60 million — worth of projects in the spending bill approved by the lower chamber.

READ: Lacson: Pork per House member increased to P160 million

However, the senator also disclosed that some of his fellow senators made P3.3-billion budget “insertions” for one province alone. /atm

READ: Lacson: One province gets P3.3-B budget ‘insertions’ from senators