House leader eyes passage of 2020 national budget by October

House Majority Leader Fredenil Castro. (Photo from an INQUIRER.net video)

MANILA, Philippines — House Majority Leader and Capiz 2nd District Rep. Fredenil Castro said he is mulling that the 2020 national budget will be passed by October this year.

“Budget for 2020 ay pinakamahalaga sa Kongreso. Ipasa ang budget on time. I promised na by October matatapos na ang budget for 2020,” Castro said in a press conference at Annabel’s Restaurant in Quezon City on Saturday.

The congressman also urged members of the 18th Congress to cooperate in passing the 2020 budget on time.

“Kailangan po natin, kung mangyayari man po yung aking sinasabi na iabot sa kasama namin sa Kongreso, na tulungan po nila na maipasa ang budget kaagad,” Castro said.

President Rodrigo Duterte only signed the 2019 national budget in April this year. Duterte, however, vetoed P93 billion of the appropriations in the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The President received the enrolled General Appropriations Bill (GAB) on March 26 this year. The passage of the measure faced delays due to the alleged insertions and questionable allocations. (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)

READ: Duterte signs 2019 national budget; vetoes P95.3B