The Duterte administration’s proposed P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020 has been withdrawn at the House of Representatives, Appropriations Committee chairman and Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab said on Sunday.
READ: Palace urges House to speed up budget okay
Ungab said House Bill No. 4228 was withdrawn by Deputy Speaker for Finance Luis Villafuerte.
Villafuerte said the filing of the bill on first reading on Aug. 28 was “premature” since all departments and other agencies of the government have yet to finish presenting
their respective budget proposals at that time.
“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 HB No. 4228’s filing on first reading,” Villafuerte said.
“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 No. 4228 without having heard the presentations of all government agencies covered by the proposed 2020 General Appropriations Act?” he added.
The Department of Budget and Management formally submitted the National Expenditure Program 2020 to the House of Representatives on Aug. 20, while budget hearings at the appropriations committee level began on Aug. 22.
“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,” Villafuerte said.
The House intends to have the 2020 budget bill approved on third reading by Oct. 4 before Congress goes on recess.
Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez earlier assured the public that the House would pass a constitutionally-compliant national budget for 2020.
“We will comply with the Supreme Court ruling that outlawed any form of pork barrel. Definitely, the pork barrel system is a thing of the past. Line item budgeting system will be strictly observed to ensure transparency and accountability in the disbursement of public funds,” Romualdez said.
