]IIIAI{IIA, PHITIPPII{ES I TUESDAY

Senate ripp ta
Up to now, the l
Senate has y_et
bo make public a
detailed report on the
proponents

lleru,actAe dt'vr p4ci{ Pa. . e

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 Senate ri pped forsabotage
among themselves and that wil They cited anew several
lhry are accusing each be factored in the consideration provisions in the 2019 General
dismissed the House allegations
dher with certain and calledit a desperate attempt
of the President signing or ApFapriations Bill, which the to stop Mr Duterte from veioing
iridgularities or acts vetoing certain Foyisions of the senators have cut down. their insertions.
in conflict with the budget." Among these were: P5 billion Sotto maintained Mr. Duterte
Constitution. They Panelo, n everthel e ss, for Ddparhnent of thansportation's is well-informed about the budget
guaranteed Mr. Duterte vill onlv (DoTr) Righi-of-Way (RoW)
should resolve it sign d "legal' 2019 budget whil! projects, Pll.03 billion for
issue and the stand of tie Senate.
the Senate h€sident theodz€d
expressing hope the proposed Department of Public Works and that Andaya's latest move was
hsmel 2019 budget would be sigtr€d into Highways' (DPWE) RoW and p2.6 meant to pr€rcnttlle hesident from.
law anytime this week billion for DPI{II foreign-assisted rcrci.sfu his rcbo porer.
pmYisions in a document are projects.
illegal or not," he added. Slashes fron Serrte "Depriving the government Ee's a lawyer. He will
nThe
Panelo explained the House of Represergatives with funds for right-of-way how whether o documert
Itesideni muld weigh the claims never made a move to reduce the and other infrastructure, or certain provisions in a
of both the Senate and the 2019 budget for infta$rucfure projectb will surely hamper docunefr is illegal or not.
Eouse about insertions and' projects as appropriat€d in the the implementation of the
budget realignments in National Expenditure Program Piesident's 'Build, Build, Build'
the
(NEP),' House Appropri ations 'It's a last-ditch effort to
apFopriations bitl. :
Committee chairnan Bolando
program- Confuction on priority obfuscate the issue and try to
'ttey (the Senate and the fojects, itrcluding nass transit preyent the President,s veto oI
Eouse of Bepresentatives) are Andaya Jr. ssid. and raiIYaJ' systems, will be their illegal realignments," he said.
accusing each other with certain Andaya emphajized that the mostty affected,, the Eouse "Even their colleagues Imow.
inegularities or acts in conflict House ha.s suggested anetdments Ieaders pointed out. .. Nd o<cuses are necessary because
with the Constitution. Thev in the nationai budget, which the President l0ows everlthing,'
should resolve it,' he expressed". increases allocations for Foj€cts Panelo e&id the presideft he added.
without touching the total. muld weigh the claims oi Sotto was apparendy referring
Solomonic solutiotr amotnt thaf ivas pegged in fire both the. Senafe and the to at least 62 membeN ofthe House
'Ihe President, I'm sure will NEP . ; I0use.tDout insertions
Eouse.tbout insertioni- and
-'-- who- supposedly informed some
fador in aU tllc rtatemeits , Thel{ouseeryessed budget realignments, senators about the slashing of the
made by both ehambers confidence thai budget alocated to their respedive
in going over the the office of the Also cited were pg billion for congressional distdcis after ihe
budget and then President will rebel returnees and outof_school ra.tiflcation of the measue.
decide for himself,t consider its youth's scholarship under the
ihe Palace official amendments Technical Education Skills and With reservatiom
said- for review Development Authority; p2.2b4 the Senate Presideni signed
'Well, ag ai n, \a-nd look billion for National dieening the "manipulated" budget with
that is an internal for ways Program, which they claim to shong reservations over the p?E
problem between t0 restore have resulted to 50 percent billion alleged regligunents made
then- With relpect to t, h e- se budget cut for aU PENBO except by some mernbers ofthe House.
the two houiss, they throgqh th9 in Antique; p?.b billion budget In his letter to the president,
shouh resolve.tliat,' he presidential for the Southeast Asian Garies
Sotto attached a list ofthe items
added. "They,re raising veto, from Department of Foreign allegedly realigned by some
constitutional issues Affai$, but p6 billion of which House leaders and urged the
was transferred to the philippine Chief Executive to exercise Ns
Sports Commission.with that the veto power,
renaining P2.5 bilion nowhere The budget version of the
to be found; PlB.4 House was already transmitted to
billion miscellaneous the Dxecutiye departrnent after
pe$onnel benefit fund Sotto signed it last week.
and the P39 billion in Prior to Sotto,s signing, the
pension and gratuity Senate wanted the original raffied
version to be passed that resulted
in more than a month of impasse.
De8perate bid Senators have expressed
Senate optimism that ttre hesident will
Rol-n uolley Presidenriar spokesman sal panero oettects more tarrications trom President heed their call to veto the p?6
adrfilbtration critics such as the;leged chin.i" oort, .*ii.i.rrni'i ,In'tJJt o irt"no, Vicente Sotto III billion.
in lhe Wesl PhiliDDine Sea

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