Arroyo says Senate should explain alleged insertions in 2019 budget

January 30, 2019

Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Wednesday the Senate should explain its “insertions” under the proposed 2019 P3.757-trillion national budget.

Arroyo made this statement even as Senate President Vicente  Sotto III told for Senator Loren Legarda, chairperson of the committee on finance, to withdraw the Senate general appropriations bill (GAB) version in the bicameral conference and adopt the reenacted 2018 P7.3767-trillion national budget following pork barrel allegations.

“I think you have read in the newspapers that the Senate owned up to P200 billion in their own amendments. So that has to be sorted out between the House and the Senate,” Arroyo told reporters in an ambush interview.

Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya, Jr., who chairs the House committee on appropriations and head of the House contingent in the bicam, alleged that the Senate inserted P190 billion in the proposed 2019 budget.

Arroyo said the House of Representatives is pushing for approval of the 2019 national budget.

“Well of course we want to have it come out before it’s too late,” said Arroyo.  “I cannot pre-empt. I cannot second guess because I am not participating in the bicam.”

Reacting to Sotto’s statement, Andaya joined Arroyo in calling for transparency.

“It is a matter internal to the Senate. But on the part of the House, our position remains unchanged: We want a new budget. We are against a reenacted one,” said Andaya. DMS