Mind your own business, House tells Senate on budget deliberations

Senators should mind their own business instead of keeping an eye on the House of Representatives, a House official suggested yesterday as leaders of Congress said deliberations on the 2006 national budget are on track.

"Just like in a basketball game, why don’t (the senators) just start their own game in their own court rather than watch us play and cheer us to finish the game within the regulated time?" Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., chairman of the House appropriations committee, asked.

Andaya and Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. assured the senators and the public that the Malacañang-proposed P1-trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2006 will be approved "before the end of November (2005)."

"We believe we are within our schedule and we expect plenary budget approval by the third or last week of November," De Venecia said, adding that President Arroyo could sign the national outlay into law "during the last week of December (2005)."

The two House leaders issued the statement after Sen. Ralph Recto expressed fears that deliberations on the 2006 budget might be derailed due to the reported infighting between De Venecia and administration Rep. Prospero Pichay of Surigao del Sur, who is reportedly eyeing the speakership.

"That’s nothing. That’s just a slight misunderstanding. Before you know it, these misunderstandings, if there are any, will be ironed out to the satisfaction of all parties," Andaya said, citing De Venecia’s "ability as a peacemaker."

De Venecia and Andaya nevertheless assured their counterparts in the Senate that the 2006 budget will not be re-enacted as in previous years "because the salaries of 1.1 million government workers rely" on it as well as more than P10 billion allocated for "new education programs."

Andaya said the senators have nothing to worry about, particularly concerning the De Venecia-Pichay row. "As to politics in the House, it has not made an impact on our work. It has not affected and will not affect our timetable in the committee. The senators are just nervous."

If the House fails to pass the budget by the end of 2005, the Senate, as it has done in the past, can "ratify the House version en toto," according to the Bicolano lawmaker. "After all, when it lands in the Senate, it is assumed that it has been rigorously examined by the House."

"Under the worst-case scenario, the sky will not fall if we don’t have a new budget by Jan. 1. Government will continue to operate. There’s no Cinderella deadline that when the clock strikes 12 on the midnight of Dec. 31, it will be all over," Andaya stressed.

Of the 18 fiscal years since 1987 when Congress resumed passing the national budget, the congressman noted, "only six GAAs were signed before Dec. 31 of the previous year." "There’s even one, the 1991 GAA, which was signed in June."

"It’s the Senate that must do something. It can conduct parallel hearings. The senators need not wait for our version to commence scrutiny of the budget," the young lawmaker reiterated.

Andaya likewise assured the 160-member House appropriations committee will resume its marathon committee budget hearings by Nov. 8, a day after Congress resumes session after a three-week Halloween break. — Delon Porcalla