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Special session ma y herald
possible budget compro:mise
TIIE Senate,s proposal to.hold a
special session for the approval of
asupplemental budget is a ,,work-
able compromise,, to settle the
lmpasse over the 2Ot9 national
budget, ar aralyst saidl Sundav-
The Senate last week asied
the House of Representatives to
recall the 2019 national budget,
signedbySpeaker cloria MacaDa-
gal-Arroyq which it transmitted
on March Il.
. "We only suggest it iJ the
House recalls what they sent and
resend what we approved in the
plenary. Then in case the presi-
dent vetoes the lump sum, we
can go into a special session to
approve a supplementaj budset.,,
Senate President Viceute C. Sotto
III said in a phone messaae to
Bu s i n e s swo rld, S atuT day.
He noted this has been relave.t
by Senator Panfilo M. Lacson to
the House, through San Juan ReD-
Ronaldo B. Zamora. When askei
whether there has been anv de_
velopment since, Mr Sotto said
"none yet."
Mr, Zamora forhis part, said in
a phone message. Sulday, ..there
is nothing yet to report. We have
finished some prelirninanr issues.
but there are still large gaps to
bridge between the versions of
the two Houses of Congress.,,
'.We s,ill, at all costs as soon ai
we can, have a budget for 2019.,,
Ateneo Policy Ce[ter research
fellow Michael Henry Ll. yus_
ingco said via e-mail Sundav ttlat
"this week. Senate's proposal
could be the likely way out of this
budget deadlock.,,
"The Senate,s suggestion to
hold a special session for a supple_
mental budget to accommodate
the Houset position looks like a
workable compromise. Initial re_
actjons from some Congressmen
to this proposal are not encouras_
ing. But this weekend may hav"e
gven our lawmakers the time to
reconsider the backlash if they
remarn intrarsigent. They could
enter this week with a softer att!
tude towards each other,,, he said.
. Dr. Perlita M. Frago.Mara_
srgan, a University of the philip_
ptnes Political Science assistant
professor, said ifthe House main_
tains its position, ,.the deadlock
may continue until after the mid_
term elections;"
\ pAqe- q
"TWo, the government proj_
ects rvill
befundedbv a reenacted
budget. Third, the path of least
resistance might be chosen. ihe
Senate usually bases its decision
on popular support,, she said in a
phone message.on Sunday.
Both analysts said any rnore
delay iqtle
budget enactment
will have a severe impact on
the economy. .'The planned in_
frastructure projects will heve
rio funds and therefore cannot
proceed as planned. This is just
one outcome our lawmakers must
not trivialize,, Mr. yusingco said.
addingthat health and socialwel_
fare services will also suffer.
"We need the new budget
passed soon. This is the bottom
line" he added.
The House has been firm in
its insistence on ..itemizinE,, the
P3.787-trillion buclget folliwine
its ratification by both chambers
on Feb. 8. The House has aroued
that keeping some funds in limp
sum torm, as approved in the
committee report, makes the
budget prone to corruption.
When asked v/hat it sees as a
possible compromise, given the
/ryr',
opposing positions, House Ma_
jority Leader Fredenil H. Castro
of the 2.d district ofCapiz merely
said the Senate should sign the
transmitted budget.
"The House has done its
obligation. It has forwarded
to the Senate the Enrolled Bill
duly signed by the Speaker,,, Mr.
Castro said in a phone messaee
Sunday. "Its now the turn of tie
Senate to comply with its obliqa_
tion by signing t}le Enrolled i t
and.transmit it to the president
for his signature..
Meanwhile, in a statement olr
Sunday, appropriations commit_
tee chair Rolando G. Andaya, Jr.
of the t'r district of Camarinec
Sur said the Budget itemized
by the House will ..not criDDle,.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte,s
"Bufld, Build, Build,, program,
- craims made by Mr.
;::::Tr
"What may stall the
accel_
eration of infrastmcture spend_
ing was the Senate,s unilateral
decision to remove pt7 billion for
the right-of-way funding of BBB
projects," he said in a statement.
- CharmaineA. Tadatan
l