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MANILA, Philippines – There is no guarantee that the 2021 budget can be passed on time and that re-enactment will be prevented if the House of Representatives transmits the 2021 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) to the Senate on 5 or 6 of November.
“If the House of Representatives broadcast the Senate General Appropriations Bill will be on November 5 or 6, there is no guarantee that we will be able to pass the budget on time and thus avoid re-enactment,” Lacson said in a declaration.
Lacson questioned the deadline for the GAB’s transmission to the Senate, considering the expected approval of the appropriations bill in third and final reading in the lower house on Friday.
“As promised to the president, they will pass the GAB in the third and final reading today, October 16, and it only takes a week to print, so why on November 5?” Lacson said.
“Not only the delay is unacceptable. It is difficult to understand unless there are plans to modify the bill after the third reading, ”he added.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III previously said he was informed that the House plans to present the GAB, which contains the proposed P4.5 trillion national budget, to the Senate on November 5 or more than two weeks after its approval. for third reading in the Lower House. .
He later said that he spoke with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lord Allan Velasco, and asked him to help facilitate the transmission of the GAB to the Senate by October 28 at the latest.
He said Velasco had promised to “do his best” to comply with the request.
According to Lacson, House leaders should be reminded to follow Article VI, Section 26 of the Constitution, which says that “on the last reading of a bill, no amendments will be allowed.”
“Amid promises of ‘best efforts’ to transmit the budget bill by the end of October, if the House still ends up transmitting the bill on November 5, does the description of ‘Casa del Pueblo’ mean is it just talk? ” added.
/ MUF
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