Duterte won’t call for special session to pass proposed budget for 2019, Palace confirms

December 14, 2018

Malacañang confirmed on Friday President Rodrigo Duterte would not call for a special session for the passage of the proposed P3.757 trillion 2019 budget. In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the decision was made following the request of the Senate. "Senate members told the President through, I think Secretary Diokno, that it’s physically impossible for them to hold a session because it ended yesterday; and I suppose there’s so many activities that will involve the attention, the presence of all members of Congress. So in deference to that, the President is not calling [for a] special session," he said. He admitted the Palace was disappointed over the failure to pass the budget. "Well certainly, because we thought… since we submitted the budget on the first day when we are supposed to have 30 days within which to submit, we are of course disappointed that it did not pass as expected," Panelo said. Without the new General Appropriations Act, the government has to operate under a re-enacted budget until a new one is approved. Celerina Monte/DMS