Palace hopes congressional bicam to immediately OK proposed P4.1 trillion budget

November 27, 2019

Malacañang expressed hope on Wednesday that the congressional bicameral conference committee could immediately reconcile the differences of the Senate and the House of Representatives on the proposed 2020 budget.

This was after the Senate approved the P4.1 trillion General Appropriations Bill on third and final reading on Wednesday.

"The Executive Branch hopes that the Bicameral Conference Committee of the Legislature would be able to arrive at a considered decision in reconciling the conflicting provisions found in the two versions of its respective houses without prolonged partisan discussion and undue delay," said Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo in a statement.

The 2019 budget was only signed into law last April after failure of the Senate and the House to resolve their differences.

"The public is assured that the President (Rodrigo Duterte) will carefully scrutinize whatever appropriations bill that will be transmitted to his office by Congress to ensure that the same would be in accordance with the imperatives of the Constitution and responsive to the needs of the Filipino people before it becomes a law," said Panelo, also chief presidential legal counsel.

Quoting the Department of Budget and Management, he said the proposed budget for next year aims to fund programs and projects that will help accelerate investments in public infrastructure, improve anti-poverty measures, and intensify employment generation. Celerina Monte/DMS