Drilon confident P1.816T budget will be submitted to Palace by Dec. 14

MANILA, Philippines–The chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee is confident that Congress would be able to send the proposed P1.816 trillion national budget for 2012 for President Aquino’s signature by December 14.

Senator Fraklin Drilon said Thursday that the bicameral conference committee will work even during this weekend to thresh out the different versions of the House of Reprentatives and the Senate and come up with a report by Monday.

“We will try to finish and sign the bicam report by Monday but certainly not later than Tuesday,” Drilon said during a weekly forum in the Senate on Thursday.

The bicam report will then be referred back to both chambers of Congress for ratification before it is transmitted to President Aquino for signature.

“We are confident to bring the budget to President Aquino by December 14 and that should give the President and the budget management enough time to go over and sign it before the year is over,” said Drilon.