With more deputy speakers, solon wants addt’l P1.6-B for House 2020 budget

MANILA, Philippines — With the 18th Congress having more House deputy speakers, Cavite 8th District Rep. Abraham Tolentino is pushing for an additional P1.6 billion for the 2020 budget of the House of Representatives.

Under the 2020 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the House was allotted a total of P14 billion for its budget. For the 18th Congress, 22 House deputy speakers however were elected.

During plenary deliberations on the proposed budget for Congress on Friday, Tolentino said the allotted budget for the House for 2020 had failed to account the additional expenses that came with the additional deputy speakers as well as other expenses.

“We did not expect that there will be additional deputy speakers. We did not expect that there will be additional vice chair on appropriations and ways and means. We did not expect either that there will be newly-created committees,” Tolentino said.

The budget for the House would have to cover the salaries of 4,322 employees, including the contractuals, consultants, and other employees, as well as the purchase of new equipment and new offices for the additional deputy speakers, he added.

“Hindi po tayo ang nagprepare ng budget for 2020. Binigay na sa atin ito, printed from NEP, hindi naman na-anticipate all those increases in different employees and officials,” Tolentino, chair of the House accounts committee.

Congress was allotted P22.8 billion for 2020. The Senate will get P7.4 billion; the Senate Electoral Tribunal, P0.292 billion; the Commission on Appointments, P0.817 billion; the House of Representatives, P14 billion; and the House Electoral Tribunal, P0.16 billion. /muf