Senate receives House-approved 2021 national budget

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate received on Tuesday afternoon the budget bill approved by the House of Representatives.

“Senate just received the GAB (General Appropriations Bill) from the [House of Representatives],” Senate President Vicente Sotto III told reporters in a Viber message.

The office of Senator Sonny Angara, chair of the Senate finance committee, also confirmed the Senate’s receipt of the budget bill to reporters.

Angara’s office said the senator is looking to start plenary debates in the House-approved General Appropriations Bill (GAB) on November 10.

Sotto, meanwhile, thanked and congratulated House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco for the “swift transmission.”

READ: Velasco promises ‘best effort’ to transmit House-approved budget to Senate by end of October

“It’s even one day ahead of my original request that they send it on the 28th [of October],” the Senate leader added.

Senator Panfilo Lacson also welcomed the transmittal of the budget bill to the Senate “regardless of the constitutional issues” involving the House’s version, saying it would give the chamber enough time to scrutinize it.

READ: House changes to budget not allowed – Lacson

“It is…good that the Senate has enough time to approve our own version, leaving room for the bicameral conference and submission to the President for approval, thus avoiding a re-enacted budget,” Lacson said.

“Now that the GAB is available as reported, once we get hold of our copy, I’ll make adjustments based on the House version of the budget bill,” he added.

JE