There seems to be no
end yet to the budget districfs.-The Horlse leadership also iJad- ,
imDasse. The House ot ded the district allocations of these favorite ,
.L
l.rov5 clarrfied that the Hou'e has not u'ilh- to send tlre version contained in the bicam-
eral-eonJeterrce committee report the two
dran-n the printed copy o[ iLs ver.ion of chambers ratified on Feb. 8 before adjoum-
the budget it sent to lhe Senate {or Sotto's irg lor the *uee-month election campaign.
signafure, and eventually for trans m i 5sion That rcport contained lump sums, \,\'hictr
to Presidenl Duterte. according to appropriations committee
"No, we have not withdranm our ver- chairman Rolando Andaya Jr., came up to
sion. We're in discussions about what P99 billion and which Andaya and Arroyo
is the proposed new yersion...as to the claim are unconstitutional.
details, that's the or-re that we'll see," she Arroyo's statements came a day after
said. she authorized Zarnora to talk to senators
She said she was plalning to meet later on how the two chambers could break their
with San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora and deadlock on dre brdget.
other congressmen on what they would On Mondal-,6olto and lacson said
do to finally break their impasse with Zam,rra re)ayei to them Lhe me55agc drat
senators on the budget. the House teadership has agreed to r'vith-
Ifthe House insists onitsversion of the draw its version of the proposed budget
2019 spendingbilf then the two chambers and to transmit the spending bill contained
are deadlocked again. ir the bicam report ratified on Feb. 8.
Such scenario loomed as Camarines Sur "We u'ill wait for that action (withdrar,r-
Rep. Luis Raymund Villa{uerte accused hg the budget senL to tlre Senate) and if il i5
the House leadership of committing an suhmitled to us as ratificd. J will imrnedi-
"unconstitutional abomination in realign- alcly sign it and concider it an eruolled bill
ing to the districts of favored members at and scnd iL to the President tor signature,"
least P92 billion worth of public works and Sotto said.
health frinds originally earmarked for over The Speaker apparently chose Zamora as
80 other legislative districts." negotiator because the San Juan congress-
'The damage has been done. They have man and his brother Manuel supported
held the proposed 2019 budget hostage to Lacson when he ran for president in 2004
their insatiable greed in realigning to fa- against then incumbent president Arroyo.
vored legislative districts some P72 billion Andaya is prctesting the alleged decision
in funds of the Departrnent of Public Works
and Highwal.s orighally allocated for other
\\ FP.od'r pAGd'l Nr1r PAA{I Pt* '.+
(t)
House to insist rrom ease r