Sotto: Drop realignments or no new budget | Inquirer News

Sotto: Drop realignments or no new budget

By: - Reporter / @MAgerINQ
/ 03:06 PM March 12, 2019

MANILA, Philippines – Remove the internal realignments or the government will operate under a reenacted budget until July.

This will be the senators’ position when they meet with President Rodrigo Duterte Tuesday night, Senate President Vicente  Sotto III said.

READ: Senators to meet Duterte amid budget row

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“Tingin ko after tonight, mas malinaw na kung ano ang mangyayari, which is either they remove the internal realignments after the ratification or we  have a reenacted budget until July,”  Sotto said in a phone patch interview on  Tuesday.

Sotto quickly clarified that it was not an ultimatum but just  a proposal, which   the House of Representatives may or may not accept.

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“(I don’t want) to use the word ultimatum,” Sotto said.

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“You were asking me what our position will  be, that will be  our position when we face the President later.”

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“So it’s up to them. It’s up to them to  accept or not to accept our proposal. I’ll leave it also to the President to whether or not accept their   explanation,”  he added.

House of Representatives leaders will also reportedly   attend the meeting with the  President.

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The Senate and the House have locked  horns  over the  alleged  realignments   made   even after the ratification  of the 2019 national budget last February 8.

Sotto insisted that any amendments after the ratification by both the Senate and the House would violate the Constitution and the Revised Penal Code.

“Our stand is we send to the President what we ratified. Yun ang stand namin,” he said, adding that it was the “only legal way” to break the  impasse.

“Kung meron silang realignment na pinag usapan nila, dapat ginawa nila yung bago nila i-ratify . Bakit ang bilis-bilis nilang nag-ratify pagkatapos e magtatagal sila sa pag print at pag enrol?” Sotto asked.

After ratification, the  Senate and the House will sign a printed copy of the  budget bill for  submission to the President.

Because of  the alleged “pork” realignments,  Congress  has yet to transmit the budget bill to  Duterte for signature. / gsg

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READ: Andaya on 2019 national budget: House’s mission accomplished

TAGS: House, Rodrigo Duterte, Sotto

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