Sotto: Duterte may be able to sign 2021 budget bill before Christmas

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte may be able to sign the bill for 2021 national budget before Christmas, if the Senate will be able to keep to its timeline of budget deliberations, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Wednesday.

With the transmission of the House of Representatives of the budget bill on Tuesday, Sotto said the Senate may have the sponsorship of the measure by Nov. 10, a day after Congress resumes session.

Senators  will then interpellate and debate on the budget from Nov. 11 to Nov. 17.

“We still have to work overtime because there are 27 departments, 100 plus agencies, 100 plus bureaus. We’ll probably start at 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. and end up 12 midnight,” Sotto said in a Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

After the period of interpellation, Sotto expects that the period of amendments will be finished by Nov. 24, after which it will be approved on second and third reading.

The Senate will be able to approve the bill on second and third reading immediately as the President earlier certified the budget bill as urgent.

After the Senate approves the budget bill, both chambers of Congress will convene a bicameral conference committee to reconcile disagreeing provisions.

“Barring unforeseen circumstances,” Sotto said the bicam report will be approved by Dec. 8.

“Kapag nangyari ‘yon [If that happens], seven days ng printing, signing of the enrolled bill of congressional leaders, so before Christmas, we expect the President to be able to sign it or at the very latest before the end of the year,” the Senate leader said.

Hopefully, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that barring unforeseen circumstances, we will be able to keep to this schedule,” he added.

JPV