Thursday, March 14, 2.

Olg

Senate, House must break stalemate-palace

DAYafterPresidentDuterte
met with lawmakers from
both chambers, Malaca-
frang said it is leaving it up to Con-
gress leaders to break the impasse
on the proposed p3.757-trillion
2019 national budget.
"The Office ofthe Presidenthas
yet to receive the enrolled General
Appropriations Bill or GAB for
this year despite the approval of
the Bicameral Conference Com,
mittee [Report] of Congress of a
version last February 8, 2019,"
said Presidential Spokesman and
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel
Salvador S. Panelo in a statement
on {/ednesday. "Only.€ondYes can
resolve and break this impasse.,'
"We callon the Senators andRep,
resentatives to break the stalemate
and deliver to the Filipino people an
appropriations lawl hat can aidthis
government better their lives a nd
helb our country move forward,',
Panelo added.
Despite the delays in the delib-
erat:'ons on the GAB, Malacaflans
said the President did not meddl!
at any instance, consistent with
the policy of noninterlerence with
coequal branches of government.
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 Senate, House must break stalemate-Palace
CoNTTNUBD FRoM 41
Ihe Palace reiterated thatthe Execu-
tive branch has already performed its
constitutional task to submit the pro-
posed 2019 national budget, noting it
did so 30 days before the deadline im-
posed by the law.
The Executive branch alsothrew itsfull
support with its staffattending commjt-
tee hearingsto make surethatthe legisla-
tive process would be unhampered and
the money measure is approved on time.
"..,We awaitCongressto complywith
its constitutional mandate to pass the
:5ame,'Panelo said.
i Nonetheless,Paneloassuredthepub-
Jic that the administration is prepared to
cushiontheimpactof a reenacted budget
and that the delivery of public services
will be maintained-
?s soon as the enrolled bill on the
budget is submitted to the president,
i the latter will perform his constitutional
duty to scrutinize it, and if he finds it in
conformity with the constitutional de-
mands, hewillsign it;"he said.
Athis lateTuesdaymeeting,with Con-
gress leadersat Malacaffang, Duterte had
begun the dialogue by saying he would
not sign the budget bill if Senate Presi,
dent Vicente Sotto llldoes not sign it.
sotto had refused to affix hi! sig-
nature on the documents sent by the
House because, according to Senate
leaders, House leaders had,manipu-
lated"thefinal version that was already
approved by the bicameral conference
committee and ratified separately by
both chambers on February 8. Sotto
explained that he cannot in consciehce
sign what he knows to be an inaccurate
representation of the supposedly ap-
proved final version.
Hesitant
BY Wednesday, hours after the Duterte-
brokered meeting ended with an in-
conclusive or soft agreement, Senate
leader5 were still hesitant to reconvene
a bicameral panel, as suggested by their
House counterparts, to hammer out a
final reconciled Senate-House version
ofthe 2019 budget bill.
"The bottom line for us in the Sen-
ate is that we cannot adopt something
that is unconstitutional because the
provision of the Constitution is clear.
Upon the last reading of a bill no
amendment thereto shall be allowed.
That's very clear," Senator panfilo Lac-
son told reporters.
He disclosed that some members of
the bicameral panel"were still insisting
last nightthatthe budget measure isan
exception.' Lacson said he replied that
"the Constitution does not say txcept
the appropriation5 measure or revenue
measure.'When you say last reading of
a bill, it covers all bills. including ap-
' propriations and revenue measures
where the President may exercise line-
item veto." Lacson said senators were
puzzled $/h)t the HOR waited until the
BCC-approved measure was ratifjed
before they realigned. "The problem
with realignment is that's basically an
bmendment."
He cited a P72.31 9-billion appropria.
tions intended for the DPWH. "This is
what they touched. And reallocated to
the districts. I said,'Mr. Presideht, what
is bad here is.the Build, Build, Build is
your legacy program, Eecause the sub-
5tantial amount of P72 billion was real-
located to districts, Build, Build, Build
will be derailedl"
He cited the Asset Preservation Pro-
gram (maintenance of bridges, roads,
bJildings), Network Program (road
networks, primary roads) among the
substantial items touched. "The DPWH
studied this well and presented it to
the Cab:net and DBCC lDevelopment
Budget Coordination Committeel. And
it was approved by the Cabinet. So why
should congressmen suddenly remove
the P72 billion?" Lacson asked.
Asked how much was reallocated.
Lacson replied the net increase added
up to P95 billion. He took issue with
Rep. Fredenil Castro'siebukt tb sena-
tors notto meddle with their affairs.The
Senate, said Lacson. must take a stand
because "it's unconstitutional. That,
everybody's concern. Since we have a
bicameral system of government, the
Senate cannot but intervene because
what we willsubmitto Malacafranq asan
enrolled billis the same enrolled billthe
Speaker ofthe HOR has already signed.
We will not also allow our Sp to be ex-
posed to possible criminal charges or
criminal investigation lateron because
that's tantamount to falsification ofthe
records of the Iegislative process.What
is being certified when one signs an
enrolled bill, is that the contents were
the ones approved in plenary, which it
is not. What we approved did not in-
clude their amendments becausethat,s
post-bicameral."
'Nothing unconstitutional'
conferencegnqednesday, Cas-
lN a news
tro said, however, the Hou5e is firm in its
position thatthere is nothjng unconstitu-
tionalin itemizing lump sums in the 20l9
national budget after ratification.
"Members of both chambers signified
to the President that rhey will follow his
\ +Paalr p\q€
suggestion sothat in afewdays'time,the
budget is finalized,'he said. "We were
able to finish the discussion. And then
the President added it! the ballgame of
Congress tofinish it in a manner which
is more or most convenient, or to which
they are b6th comfortable,"he added.
During the
meeting wjth the President, Castro said
that there was no 5uch finding that the
House was at fault in itemizing the lump-
sum appropriation in the committee re-
port after the ratification. "lt's still item-
ized becau5e it is not unconstitutional
and it is not illegal,"he added.
"That is still period of legislation,
whereas if the President has already ap-
proved the budget, that is the period of
execution; thereforethat would be post-
enactme nt/' Castro said.
At the same time, House members
challenged Sotto to exercise transpar-
ency by ordering colleagues to qive the
breakdown of their alleged P75-billion
"post-bi(ameral realignment" under the
2019 national budget.
Accoiding to Castro, Lacson sug-
gested retaining the lurnp-sum appro-
priations in the bicameral report and
just allowing the President to jtemize
the projects which may be covered by
the lump-sum appropriation5.
"IHowever] to this suggestion, IHouse
Committeeon Appropriations Chairmanl
Rep. Rolando Andaya expressed reserva-
tion as this would be unconstitutional.
Thi5 proposal ofSenalor Lacson did not
sitwell withthe President because,quot-
ing the President, he does notwantto be
involved in allocating projects," Castro
explained.
"The President said,'l cannot, that's
thejob ofCongress. You resolve the im-
passe, you finish the budgeti"he added.
Iransparency
HOUSE Deputy Minority Leader and
COOP-Natcco Party-list Rep. Anthony Bra-
vo, a member of thdbicameral conference
Committee on the national budget, said
senators"should also showtransparency
and honesty from their end."
He noted that senators even failed to
identify th em selves a s propon e nts ofthe
proposed infrastructure projects worth
P21 billion under the national budget.
Earlier, Andaya said the Senate allegedly
madepost-bicameral realignments worth
P75 billion.
Andaya said the Senate only submit-
ted its listof projects on February I 1, 20l 9
orthree days afterboth chambers ratified
the bjcameral panel-approved version.
gunadefte D.llicolas, Eutd Femandez and
Jovee Mo eN. Dela Cmz.
t{.)