Manila Bulletin, Mar. 28, 2019, House Rests Case On 2019 Budget.pdf

Solons to respect pleqidgnlial power to approve or veto F.75-B infra fund fm, :iii'i:j;pinl|9-so$Fio;:g*tr:i:Krl I'

t-tl he House of ReDresentatives 1 I l'"iu resDect Dresidential disI cretion in ttre approval or veto I of the enrolled 2019 General

Appropriations Bill (GAB) and will no

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House rests case on 2019 ...
it is now up to President Duterte if he will uphold

followed

a long bickering between the House add Senate leadership as the latter acCused congTessmen of tinkering with the F7s-billion infrastructure budget after the bicameral comniittee report on the measure was ratifred by the Lo\ er Chamber. House leaders, among them Ma-

Senate President Vicente Sotto ItrI's recommendation for the veto of F?s billion in infrastructure fund that the Lower House iteniized. "Once enacted into law, I assure the taxpaying public that the naiional budget for 2019 v/ill pass not only the

jority Leader Fredenil Castro and

counlability." Andaya said in a press

oppositionists Minority Leader Danilo Suarez (UNA. Quezon) and Rep. Edcel Lagman (LR Albay) , insisted that

test of constitutionality and legal. ity but also of transparency and acstatement-

He stress;d that congressmen "worked double time" to guarantee Filipino taxpayers that their legislative district "will get a fair shard of the budget."

"Wg took l.ime to examine the budget in order to expunge programs and projects not vetted by appropriate govemment agencies andinstitutional mechanisms." he explained. The enrollment of the budget bill

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longer defend its position on the budget measure from the Senate leadershlp. Camarines SurRbp. Rolando Andaya Jr., chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, stressed this

Wednesday as he said

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there is nothing unconstitutional.in the itemization of lump sum provisions of tbe budget, adding that what was done was part of ensuring transparency in the budget process. "We may have locked horns with senators on contentious issues, but

both sides'chose to work on our commonalities rather than waste ptecious time over disagreements," said Andaya.

"That is democracy at work. We

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are confident that the product of this democratic process will help improve ow economic situation and uplift the lives of ordinary Fllipinos," he added. It was recalled that former President and now Speakercloria Macapagal-Arroyo had affrxed her signature in the proposed 2019 GA,rA, two weeks ago

but later agreed to recall it ftom the Senate to give way to negotiations.

Castro assigned Reps. Andaya, Lagman, and Ronaldo Zamora (PDPLaban, San Juan) to end the budget impasse with a Senate counterpart.

Bicameral sources said the two panels agreed to enrol the GAB that contained the itemized provisions made by the House but at the same time, .allow Sotto to submit a letter ] airing to Duterte his misgivings over the measure and recommendation for veto ofthe congressmen s provision. A House soufce also confirmed U

1ffi"'*":il::J:#;:J:::1Ji +r.A nuNE NAN'I ing Sotto's action.

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