Only P9.5B realignments? Lacson sees swift OK of 2020 budget

MANILA, Philippines — Congress might approve the proposed 2020 national budget ahead of schedule if the House of Representatives had indeed realigned only of P9.5 billion to certain agencies.

Senator Panfilo Lacson said he himself might recommend the House version but only if there are no other realignments or insertions in the budget.

“If the announcement of the House leadership that they realigned only P9.5B worth of items to agencies like NFA, DOH, DepEd and the like, which are apparently institutional, with the permission of my colleagues and SP [Senate President Vicente] Sotto, I might recommend that we simply adopt the House version,” Lacson said in a text message on Monday.

NFA is National Food Authority, DOH is Department of Health, DepEd is Department of Education.

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

 “Meaning — no more bicameral conference, therefore no further insertions and realignments can be made, then we enroll the budget bill for the President’s consideration way ahead of schedule,” he said.

“Not being naughty, it is interesting to see how the small group committee in charge of their members’ individual amendments will react. Kung meron silang ganung plano na sa bicam isingit, eh ‘di purnada (If they have a plan to insert it in the bicam, then that will fail),” the senator added.

The small committee was created by the House to collate and approve until September 23 the congressmen’s individual and institutional amendments in the budget.

The House approved the 2020 budget on September 20 but it only transmitted the budget bill to the Senate last October 1.

READ: House swiftly OKs P4.1-T nat’l budget for 2020 after only a month of debates

 Lacson, a crusader against the pork barrel system, reminded that any amendment after approval on third and final reading is a clear violation of Art VI Sec 26 of the Constitution.

The said section specifically provides that, “Upon the last reading of a bill, no amendment thereto shall be allowed, and the vote thereon shall be taken immediately thereafter, and the yeas and nays entered in the Journal.” /je