Senators to meet with Duterte on 2019 budget

FILE: It was Alvarez, along with Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who called to order the joint session of Congress. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — Senate President Vicente Sotto III will meet with President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday night to discuss the proposed PHP3.757-trillion national budget for 2019 following an impasse between the two chambers of Congress.

“Pinatawag na ako ng Presidente mamayang gabi. Pinatawag na niya ako, dadalhin ko na yung kung ano ang makukuha kong research at anong balita, dadalhin ko mamaya (The President has summoned me for tonight. I will bring to him whatever news or information I have gathered),” Sotto said in a radio interview.

He said the Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office (LBRMO) is conducting a review of the 2019 national budget that was transmitted by the House of Representatives to the Senate.

Sotto said he will be joined by Senate Finance Committee Chair Loren Legarda, Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Senator Gringo Honasan, and Senator Panfilo Lacson in his meeting with Duterte.

Also invited to the meeting are House of Representatives Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rolando Andaya Jr.

Sotto reiterated that he will not sign an enrolled copy of the budget bill for the President’s signature if the House insists on its last-minute amendments.

He claimed that the House tweaked about PHP79 billion in the 2019 budget by increasing or decreasing the funding for several districts after both chambers ratified the bicameral conference committee report.

“Kapag nandudoon talaga yung sinasabing ginalaw na mga PHP79 billion after ratification, eh hindi ko makukunsensiyahang pirmahan yun. Dahil bukod sa bina-violate ko yung Constitution (If the said PHP79-billion realignment is found in the document after ratification, then I cannot sign it. Because, apart from violating the Constitution), I will be violating also the revised penal code on the issue of falsification of legislative documents,” Sotto said.

“Hindi ko pwedeng gawin yun. Ngayon pagka-nangyari yun, 100 percent hindi pipirmahan ni Presidente yan kahit ipadala nila ng wala akong pirma (I can’t do that. If that happens, the President 100 percent won’t sign it even if they transmit it to him without my signature),” he added.

Lacson said the meeting would be a “good opportunity” to resolve the differences surrounding the 2019 national budget.

“As far as the Senate (is concerned), non-negotiable yung constitutional provision (the constitutional provision is a non-negotiable) to which the President agrees,” Lacson said.

Lacson was pertaining to a provision of the 1987 Constitution that no amendment should be made to a measure already approved on third and final reading.