After realignments, House transmits to Senate proposed P4.1-T 2020 budget

MANILA, Philippines — The House transmitted to Senate on Tuesday morning the proposed P4.1 trillion national budget for 2020 a day after the lower chamber finalized its P9.5-billion institutional amendments to the budget bill.

Deputy Speaker Neptali “Boyet” Gonzales II has announced this saying the Senate would refer the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) to its finance committee, which could then tackle it even while the House goes break starting Oct. 5.

“Again and again, we contend that it is a pork-free budget as we strictly confined ourselves to the decision of the Supreme Court which declared the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) unconstitutional and prohibited the post-enactment identification of projects,” Gonzales said in a statement.

“Now, the Senate can finally see for themselves,” the Mandaluyong representative added.

Anakalusugan Rep. Michael Defensor for his part said the House would also look into the proposed changes of the Senate to the budget bill as part of the budget process.

The majority member and chair of the committee on public accounts also expressed confidence that the Senate would accept their realignments to the expenditure plan. He also said they are happy with the work they have done.

“I would like to assure the good senator and the Senate of the Philippines… pati kami sasaya sa ginawang trabaho ng budget sa Kongreso (even the House is happy with the work we’ve accomplished),” Defensor said in a press conference.

The House passed the GAB on final reading last Sept. 20 but a small committee kept on accepting institutional amendments to the spending bill until Sept. 30.

Once approved by the Senate, the two chambers would jointly scrutinize the proposed budget in a bicameral conference committee before ratifying the budget later on and forwarding such to President Rodrigo Duterte.   /muf

READ: House bares P9.5-billion realignments in 2020 budget