Tiniyak ng mga opisyal sa Kamara na hindi makokompromiso at mababahiran ng katiwalian ang pambansang pondo para sa taong 2020.
Ito’y matapos umanong bawiin ng mismong Committee on Appropriations ang House Bill 4228 na nagpapanukala ng P4.1-trillion na pondo ng gobyerno sa susunod na taon.
Kinumpirma ni House Deputy Speaker at Camarines Sur Cong. LRay Villafuerte ang ulat na agad pinull-out ang naturang house bill matapos ang unang araw ng deliberasyon nito.
“The bill’s withdrawal was not an issue; it was just a procedural matter as the presentation of the budget proposals of all government offices before the House appropriations committee have yet to be completed at the time of House Bill 4228’s filing on first reading,” ani Villafuerte.
Una ng sinabi ng Committee chairman na si Davao City Cong. Isidro Ungab na mismong si House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano ang nagutos na bawiin ang panukalang batas.
Pero paliwanag ni Villafuerte, maituturing na premature ang inihain na panukalang batas sa komite dahil hindi pa kumpleto ang budget proposal ng lahat ahensya ng pamahalaan.
“In fact, the remaining offices that have yet to present their 2020 budget proposals are expected to finish doing so by the end of this workweek yet—so how can the House appropriations committee submit House Bill 4228 without having heard the presentations of all government agencies covered by the proposed 2020 GAA (General Appropriations Act)?”
Target ng Kamara na maipasa sa kanilang lebel ang proposed national budget sa October 4 bago ang recess o bakasyon ng Kongreso.
“There is no need for us to short-circuit the legislative process on the excuse that the House should pass the GAB soon enough to avoid a repeat of the 2019 budget delay.”
