Duterte fails to break budget impasse

MANILA, Philippines — Not even a meeting with President Duterte could break the impasse among lawmakers over this year’s stalled budget program.

“There is a budget impasse due to some constitutional questions raised by both chambers. Only Congress can resolve and break this impasse,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement yesterday.

At the start of the meeting Tuesday night, the President reiterated that he would not sign a budget bill not bearing Senate President Vicente Sotto III’s signature.

Senate and House leaders gave conflicting accounts of what took place during the meeting at Malacañang.

The House and the Senate have been accusing each other of making last-minute amendments to the P3.757-trillion budget right after its approval by the bicameral conference committee.

The Office of the President has yet to receive the enrolled spending bill passed by the bicameral panel last Feb. 8.

“We call on the senators and representatives to break the stalemate and deliver to the Filipino people an appropriations law that can aid this government better their lives and help our country move forward,” he added.

Panelo said the Office of the President submitted the proposed budget on July 23, 2018, or 30 days before the deadline imposed by law. Executive officials attended hearings to make sure the legislative process would be unhampered and the budget approved on time, he added.

“The executive has performed its constitutional task to submit its proposed budget, we await Congress to comply with its constitutional mandate to pass the same,” the spokesman said.

He added the President has opted to let the legislative procedure take its course instead of meddling in the dispute among lawmakers over insertions and realignments.

“As soon as the enrolled bill on the budget is submitted to the President, the latter will perform his constitutional duty to scrutinize it and if he finds it in conformity with the constitutional demands, he will sign it,” he said.

While remaining hopeful that lawmakers would eventually resolve their differences, Malacañang stressed it is ready for a reenacted budget scenario.

“We assure the nation that the administration, as we have previously stated, is prepared to cushion the impact of a reenacted budget. The delivery of public services to our countrymen will be maintained,” Panelo said.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III earlier said about P79 billion worth of projects in the bill approved by the bicameral panel had been “manipulated” by some House members.

House appropriations committee chairman Rolando Andaya Jr. lashed back at the Senate, saying the chamber realigned some P75 billion after the approval of the budget by the bicameral conference committee.

Return or restore

A congressman who declined to be named said the budget deadlock appeared to deepen further as senators were now demanding the return of the realigned funds.

The source said he did not know the amount involved, but Senate President Sotto and anti-pork barrel Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the realigned funds totaled at least P96 billion.

The two senators said such post-approval realignments are illegal and unconstitutional.

They also said several House members have complained to them about their district allocations being “hijacked” and given to “favored” congressmen.

Sotto mentioned Aurora Cerilles of Zamboanga del Sur and Raul Daza of Northern Samar as among those who have openly complained.

Cerilles is a partymate of Sotto in the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), while Daza belongs to the Liberal Party (LP).

Other House members whose districts lost funds for infrastructure projects are members of the ruling PDP-Laban party and Nacionalista Party (NP).

The 62 House members are reportedly not in the good graces of the chamber’s leaders.

The appropriations committee member said it is not surprising that senators belonging to NPC, LP, PDP-Laban and NP would protect their district representatives and their bailiwicks “by asking for the return of the funds taken away from them.”

“This is an issue bigger than the itemization of projects to support the P16-billion lump-sum realignment for health facilities,” he said.

Andaya admitted such itemization took place but argued senators also did their own post-approval itemization.

Both chambers claimed victory after the Palace meeting.

The House contingent led by Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said President Duterte thumbed down Lacson’s proposal for senators to keep their “lump-sum” pork barrel funds as against lawmakers’ detailed district allocations.

“This proposal of Senator Lacson did not sit well with the President because, quoting the President, he does not want to be involved in allocating projects,” House Majority Leader Fredenil Castro said.

Castro said Lacson – known for his strong position against pork barrel funds – had suggested to Duterte that lump sum allocations in the bicameral report ratified by both houses be “retained” where the President can also “itemize projects.”

The congressman said Lacson wanted to “just allow the President to itemize the projects which may be covered by the lump sum appropriations.”

But Duterte instead suggested to members of both chambers to “just finish the budget in a manner they are comfortable” with.

Castro said senators and congressmen “signified that they will follow his suggestion so that in a few days’ time, the budget is finalized.”

1-Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta corroborated Castro’s narrative.

“The President thumbed down Senator Lacson’s suggestion as he said he does not want to participate in any funding allocation,” Marcoleta told newsmen at a news briefing. “Senator Lacson wants lump sum appropriations in the 2019 budget.”

Rep. Anthony Bravo of party-list Coop-Natcco, for his part, called on the Senate leadership to be “fully transparent” in the way they are handling their multibillion-peso pork barrel allocations.

“They (senators) should also show transparency and honesty from their end,” the member of the House contingent in the bicameral conference committee said. “Maybe what Senate President Tito Sotto was getting was misinformation.” –  With Jess Diaz, Delon Porcalla