Escudero wants public in on P2.2T budget hearings

Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero will propose that the bicameral conference committee hearings on the P2.268-trillion 2014 national budget be opened to the public.

Escudero, chair of the Senate committee on finance, said there was no reason to hold the bicameral meetings—when Senate and House members meet to reconcile contrasting provisions in their respective versions of the bill—behind closed doors even if deal making and other horse trading were conducted during such meetings by the legislators.

Asked if the House of Representatives would be amenable to making the bicam public, Escudero said: “We’ll see. It will be rather awkward if [the House members] would be inside the room and we’ll [the senators] be outside. How could we discuss matters?”

“For me, it should be open,” he said. “I don’t see anything that should be kept from the public.”

Besides, Escudero said, the final version of the General Appropriations Act would be made available to the media and the public.

“One can only hide things if you don’t read, but you do. So you will eventually see the details … so what’s the point?” Escudero said.

Escudero said the Senate finance committee will finalize its report on the 2014 budget over the three-week recess. The report, he said, would be submitted to the plenary when sessions resume.

Escudero said the sponsorship speech on the budget is slated for Nov. 18. His target for its approval on third and final reading is Dec. 3 at the latest.

Asked if the budget would be passed before the end of the year, Escudero said “we will work on it.” Norman Bordadora