House refiles as bill measure extending 2019 budget validity

MANILA, Philippines — The joint resolution seeking to extend the validity of portions of the 2019 national budget until Dec. 31, 2020 has been refiled as a bill at the House of Representatives.

House appropriations committee chairperson Rep. Isidro Ungab Jr. on Tuesday said Joint Resolution No 13 was refiled at the chamber last Nov. 7 as House Bill No. 5400.

Ungab said the resolution had to be refiled to comply with a recent Supreme Court ruling stating that “a mere resolution cannot amend or repeal a prior law which is an act of Congress.”

“A Republic Act should also be amended or repealed by A Republic Act. The same applies to Executive Orders or Executive directives which the SC said, are not laws,” Ungab told INQUIRER.net in a text message.

He added that the measure will be tackled this afternoon during the House committee on rules hearing, where it will be decided whether the bill will be referred to the committee or straight to the plenary.

“The content is just the same. Only the form is changed,” Ungab said, saying that he is hopeful that the bill will go straight to the plenary.

The recommendation to refile the measure at chamber stemmed from the Senate, he said.

Its counterpart measure at the Senate has also been refiled as a bill at the chamber. Senator Sonny Angara, chairman of the Senate finance committee, filed Senate Bill 1153, last Nov. 6.

The House approved the joint resolution last Nov. 6, meanwhile the Senate has approved its counterpart measure at the committee level on Nov. 4. /muf