House shows swiftness in bid to avoid repeat of budget delay

MANILA, Philippines—The House appropriations committee took just two weeks to end scrutiny of the proposed P4.1-trillion 2020 national budget, appearing to ease fears of a repeat of the delay in passage of the 2019 national budget caused by legislators fighting over kickback-laden pork barrel funds.

The end of committee deliberations paved the way for the start of plenary debates on Tuesday (Sept. 10) and approval by the chamber by Oct. 4.

READ: House eyes Duterte OK of 2020 nat’l budget before Christmas

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) submitted the 2020 National Expenditure Plan (NEP) to Congress on August 20. The budget briefing of various agencies started two days later on August 22. Last to defend their budgets on Friday were the Department of Agriculture and the National Irrigation Administration.

READ: DBM submits P4.1-T 2020 budget plan to House, bares spending priorities

‘Railroaded’

Members of the Makabayan bloc said the brief period allotted to committee deliberations meant an attempt to prevent closer look at questionable items inserted in the proposed spending plan which is being “railroaded.”

Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite said billions of pesos earmarked for intelligence and confidential funds of the Office of the President—P4.5 billion or almost double the 2019 level—is a glaring example of pork. House leaders defended the OP budget against the claim.

“We believe this budget is again in favor of the rich and the few, not for ordinary citizens,” Gaite said in Filipino.

READ: Duterte wants intel, confidential funds almost doubled in 2020 

The proposed 2020 budget sets aside 37.2 percent for social services (P1.5 trillion), 28.9 percent for economic services (P1.2 trillion), 18 percent for general services (P734.5 billion), 11 percent for debt payments (P451 billion) and only 4.8 percent for defense (P195.6 billion).

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said the P388 billion “war budget” of the administration “would be of better use” if allocated for programs “addressing the social ills that incite armed conflict” such as free land distribution, a living wage, and national industrialization.

“There are many departments, especially the frontline agencies which got slashed budgets especially for social services, their budget went to the security sector,” said Zarate in Filipino.

READ: Zarate blasts gov’t’s P388-B ‘war budget’ for 2020

Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas also questioned the small amount of time given for plenary debates—only nine days until Sept. 20.

In earlier statements, appropriations panel chair and Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab vowed to “expedite” the approval of the expenditure plan to prevent a reenacted budget for 2020.

Congress’ failure to pass the 2019 budget on time had been blamed for a decline in economic growth in the first half of this year.

READ: Budget delay due to row over pork slows down growth

The House approved the 2019 national budget on November 20 last year, but both chambers of Congress ratified it only on February 8, 2019. President Rodrigo Duterte signed this year’s expenditure plan last April 15, also vetoing some P93.5 billion that was “not within the programmed priorities” of his administration./tsb