Senate sees no repeat of 2019 budget snafu

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate does not expect a repeat of the postratification amendments from the House of Representatives, which had delayed the transmission of the 2019 budget to the President, according to Senate President Vicente Sotto III.

He said the discussions of the bicameral conference committee seem to be going well, based on the report submitted by finance committee chair Sen. Sonny Angara.

If the bicameral panel completes its report this week, the Senate could ratify the P4.1-trillion 2020 budget by next week, Sotto said.

The 2019 budget was delayed and signed by President Duterte only in April after the Senate and the House squabbled over the latter’s postratification amendments.

“I don’t expect Speaker [Alan Peter] Cayetano and the chair of the appropriations committee to do something like that,” Sotto said. —LEILA B. SALAVERRIA