Drilon votes against approval of 2019 national budget

Update

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Friday voted against the approval of the “pork-filled” P3.8 trillion proposed national budget as he compared its passage to “signing a blank check” as they did not have enough time to scrutinize the spending bill.

“I dissent from the approval of the proposed 2019 General Appropriations Act,” Drilon said in an interview before the bicameral conference committee approved the General Appropriations Bill.

READ: Deadlock ends as Senate-House panel approves P3.8-T nat’l budget for 2019

“It is unfortunate that the Senate did not have sufficient time to review the General Appropriations Bill submitted by the House of Representatives and the reconciled version of the conference committee,” Drilon lamented.

“To give my vote to this budget is like signing a blank check. I simply cannot do that,” he said.

The minority leader, meanwhile, denied allegations that senators would get P3 billion in pork allocation, including a province in the Visayas which would reach more than P3 billion.

“I deny and take exception to that allegation. I would like to make of record that the province referred to is not my province of Iloilo,” he stressed.

Drilon disclosed all the amendments he made in the budget, urging his colleagues to do the same “for purposes of transparency which we owe to the Filipino people.”

Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, who voted in favor of the approval of the budget, admitted that they did not have enough time to scrutinize the report but argued that the country needs to have a budget now.

“We don’t know the entire details of the budget but generally I have an idea,” he told reporters in an interview.

“But it’s important that we have a national budget so that the growth of the economy continues… and to create more jobs in the country,” he added.

The senator also belied allegations that “pork” funds were inserted in the spending bill, saying most of the changes made were institutional amendments.

“Based on the decision of the Supreme Court, I don’t think you can call it pork. What I know (is) that everyone can make amendments,” Recto said.

Senator JV Ejercito also agreed with Recto’s statement that all amendments made were institutional.

Senator Panfilo Lacson who has been throwing pork allegations, meanwhile, snubbed the last bicameral meeting.