House accepts budget veto
Published Mar 10, 2019 03:57 pm
By Ben Rosario and Charissa Luci-Atienza
President Rodrigo Duterte may veto the inclusion of P79 billion worth of projects in the proposed 2019 General Appropriations Act (GAA) but should spare from rejection the rest of the budget.
Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., Chairman of House Appropriations Committee (MARK BALMORES / MANILA BULLETIN)
Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, said the House of Representatives will accept a veto if the President is convinced that the budget that was ratified “is constitutionally infirm and legally flawed” as claimed by Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senator Panfilo Lacson.
"That is his prerogative. Don't take that right away from him. If the contested appropriations represent 2 percent of the national budget, then why should it jeopardize the uncontested 98 percent? Why hostage the national budget over unfounded and unreasonable fear?" Andaya said even as he assured that “itemizing provisions of the proposed 2019 General Appropriations Act is perfectly legal.”
Sotto had accused the Lower House of manipulating provisions of the proposed budget before it could be signed by him and enrolled for signature of the President.
Sotto claimed some P79 billion worth of realignments were made to the P3.757-trillion 2019 national budget by the House of Representatives in preparing the final copy of the spending measure.
But Andaya said they never manipulated the bicameral conference committee report. What was done was merely the itemization of amendments introduced by the Lower House.
“The House did its part. We itemized our amendments,” Andaya said.
He added: “The people should ask the Senate if they did theirs.”
“If the contested appropriations represent 2 percent of the national budget, then why should it jeopardize the uncontested 98 percent? Why hostage the national budget over unfounded and unreasonable fear?” stated Andaya.
The House leader said the 2019 GAA will be printed to allow Filipinos to examine its provisions.
“We will print the 2019 GAA so the people would know where the projects and programs that will be implemented this year from health to education to agriculture to infrastructure would go,” said Andaya.
Andaya stressed that itemizing the provisions was “within the parameters of the Bicameral Committee Report ratified by each chamber. “
“The House did not touch the tens of billions in Senate amendments because, per agreement, it was their duty to do such,” he assured.
He added: “If the House did not do its duty, then the budget would be vague and opaque.”
Senator Panfilo Lacson earlier said some House members informed him of the "worse" realignments made to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), although such claims have yet to be substantiated. According to him, the last-minute realignments were on top of the P160 million of supposed “pork” allocation for each congressman.
He earlier bared that P25 million were inserted into the funds of the Health Facilities Enhancement Program to benefit those who supported the Arroyo speakership.
Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., Chairman of House Appropriations Committee (MARK BALMORES / MANILA BULLETIN)
Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, said the House of Representatives will accept a veto if the President is convinced that the budget that was ratified “is constitutionally infirm and legally flawed” as claimed by Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senator Panfilo Lacson.
"That is his prerogative. Don't take that right away from him. If the contested appropriations represent 2 percent of the national budget, then why should it jeopardize the uncontested 98 percent? Why hostage the national budget over unfounded and unreasonable fear?" Andaya said even as he assured that “itemizing provisions of the proposed 2019 General Appropriations Act is perfectly legal.”
Sotto had accused the Lower House of manipulating provisions of the proposed budget before it could be signed by him and enrolled for signature of the President.
Sotto claimed some P79 billion worth of realignments were made to the P3.757-trillion 2019 national budget by the House of Representatives in preparing the final copy of the spending measure.
But Andaya said they never manipulated the bicameral conference committee report. What was done was merely the itemization of amendments introduced by the Lower House.
“The House did its part. We itemized our amendments,” Andaya said.
He added: “The people should ask the Senate if they did theirs.”
“If the contested appropriations represent 2 percent of the national budget, then why should it jeopardize the uncontested 98 percent? Why hostage the national budget over unfounded and unreasonable fear?” stated Andaya.
The House leader said the 2019 GAA will be printed to allow Filipinos to examine its provisions.
“We will print the 2019 GAA so the people would know where the projects and programs that will be implemented this year from health to education to agriculture to infrastructure would go,” said Andaya.
Andaya stressed that itemizing the provisions was “within the parameters of the Bicameral Committee Report ratified by each chamber. “
“The House did not touch the tens of billions in Senate amendments because, per agreement, it was their duty to do such,” he assured.
He added: “If the House did not do its duty, then the budget would be vague and opaque.”
Senator Panfilo Lacson earlier said some House members informed him of the "worse" realignments made to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), although such claims have yet to be substantiated. According to him, the last-minute realignments were on top of the P160 million of supposed “pork” allocation for each congressman.
He earlier bared that P25 million were inserted into the funds of the Health Facilities Enhancement Program to benefit those who supported the Arroyo speakership.