Duterte intervenes on budget impasse

March 12, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte has decided to intervene and settle the impasse over the passage of the proposed 2019 budget.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that Duterte would meet with the leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives in Malacanang later in the day.

"I understand they will be having a meeting tonight. Maybe that’s the agenda where they have to thresh out whatever differences they have," he said.

He noted the controversy between the Senate and the House is the reason the P3.757 trillion budget enrolled bill has not yet been transmitted to the Office of the President.

"Right now, there is a controversy between the House and the Senate – the Senate claims that the itemization of the 79-billion (peso) funds is unconstitutional, but the House claims that it is not. So, let us see," he said.

After the bicameral committee of Congress approved the proposed budget for this year, the House leadership allegedly made changes by allocating more funds to the congressional districts of Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her allied congressmen.

The Senate leadership has been opposing the alleged changes made by the House on the proposed budget.

Duterte, in a speech Monday night, said he would not sign any illegal document as he raised concern that the country's economic growth would be affected by the reenacted budget.

During the meeting Tuesday night, Panelo said Duterte would act like a "moderator."

"He will just listen...he may have brought the two together just so they can talk and discuss," he said.

Panelo, also chief presidential legal counsel, expressed hope that after the meeting, an enrolled budget bill could finally be transmitted to Malacanang for Duterte's action. Celerina Monte/DMS