Gov’t likely to operate with re-enacted budget in early part of 2019 – Zubiri

By Vanne Elaine P. Terrazola

Despite the House of Representative’s approval of the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019, the government would still have to operate with a re-enacted budget in the first few weeks of next year.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri
(Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri stressed with leaders and some members of the two chambers of Congress on Wednesday, saying the Senate was left with little time to debate on the priority measure.

Congress leaders met after their courtesy call on Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shangri La Hotel in Taguig City Wednesday morning.

Zubiri said former President and incumbent House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo asked for a 20-minute meeting with their counterparts in Senate, led by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, to discuss primarily the 2019 General Appropriation Bill (GAB).

The House passed the GAB on final reading Tuesday following prodding by senators who raised the possibility of a re-enacted budget in 2019 due to the delay in their approval.

In the meeting, Arroyo supposedly asked senators that they immediately start deliberating on the national budget next week so it could be approved before year-end. The House Speaker said that the GAB will be forwarded to the Senate on Monday.

But Sotto, Zubiri said, was quick to respond that the Senate cannot accommodate Arroyo’s request.

“Realistically, Senate President Sotto answered, we might not be able to approve the budget within the year. Because if they gave it to the Senate by Monday, of course the [finance] committee chairperson and vice chairpersons would still have to scrutinize it first, and we will have our plenary session earliest Wednesday, November 28,”Zubiri told reporters in an interview in the afternoon.

Zubiri said the Senate could formally take up the budget in plenary starting December 3, five session days before they adjourn for the holiday break.

Reiterating his colleagues’ view, Zubirisaid that with the remaining time left, it would be “very difficult” for the Senate to “intelligently and lengthily” discuss the each provisions of the GAB. Senators had earlier agreed not to rush their debates on the 2019 budget.

While the Upper Chamber may be able to approve the 2019 budget on December 12, their last session day, Zubiri said lawmakers still have to convene the bicameral conference committee to thresh out their differing GAB versions.

Senators and congressmen may meet during the Christmas break, but the ratification of the final GAB could only be done when session resumeson January 14.

“So, technically, magkakaroontayong re-enacted budget of between two weeks to one month,”Zubiri said.

Zubiri said Arroyo was “quiet” upon hearing the senators’ position as she hoped that the Senate passes it earlier.

“The delay was from the House, we cannot cram,”Zubiri said.

The Senate Majority Leader recalled that senators debated on the 2018 national budget in the plenary for at least four weeks. He said that his colleagues cannot be ignored should they want to interpellate on the item of the 2019 GAB.

Lengthy debates are also expected this year since “unusual” insertions from the government were reportedly included in the GAB.

Should the Senate fail to finish debates on the budget, Zubiri said they will continue their deliberations next year.

Still, senators are considering holding marathon sessions to be able to debate on the budget, so that Congress would no longer need to extend their sessions on the third week of December.