Institutional amendments on proposed 2020 budget still possible – House leader

MANILA, Philippines — House Deputy Speaker for Finance and Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. believes there is still room for institutional amendments in next year’s spending bill after  Senate leaders raised the possibility of adopting the lower chamber’s version of the proposed P4.1 trillion national budget for 2020.

In light of the recent earthquakes and outbreak of diseases that hit parts of the country, Villafuerte said the Senate and House of Representatives should consider appropriating more funds for affected areas.

“Well, ang gusto talaga natin mapabilis but ako siguro (We want to expedite the passage of the budget but) at this time, because of ‘yung mga recent developments like ‘yung earthquake, I think we should talk to our Senate counterparts to allocate more funds for infrastructure, health, dun sa mga (in) affected areas,” Villafuerte said in an interview.

“Ang suggestion ko talaga is, dapat ano, (My suggestion is) I think there is still room for institutional amendments for health, agriculture, and infrastructure,” he added.

House Appropriations Committee chairperson and Davao 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab meanwhile welcomed Senate President Vicente Sotto III’s forecast that Congress could pass the proposed budget next week if Senate adopts the House-approved version.

READ: Sotto sees passage of 2020 budget next week if Senate adopts House version

“Whatever action they may take is a collective decision only the senators can decide,” Ungab told INQUIRER.net in a text message.

The 2020 budget prepared by the House of Representatives was “carefully deliberated and scrutinized under existing procedures and guidelines in compliance [with] Supreme Court rulings on the Disbursement Acceleration Program and Priority Development Assistance Fund,” Ungab added.

If Congress proceeds with the bicameral conference committee (bicam) deliberations of the budget, Villafuerte said the debates may end by November, and the signing of the 2020 General Appropriations Bill mat take place by the first week of December.

Villafuerte also said he believes some senators have institutional amendments to the expenditure plan.

“Kasi kung kami nag-amend ng P9.5 billion, e di sila meron din siguro (If the House made amendments worth P9.5 billion, they may also have amendments),” he said.

The House of Representatives made realignments in the proposed 2020 budget before transmitting such to the Senate.

These include the P3.5 billion additional budget for the Department of Agriculture for palay procurement, P200 million for the Department of Health, P500 million for the UP-Philippine General Hospital, and P1 billion for the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ camp development, among others. /gsg

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