SPEAKER Martin Romualdez yesterday vowed to have the proposed P5.768 trillion national budget for 2024 approved on third and final reading next week, a day after President Marcos Jr. certified next year’s General Appropriations Bill (GAB) as urgent.
Romualdez said: “We appreciate President Marcos’ leadership and his prioritization of the national budget. His decision to certify this crucial legislation as urgent reflects his unwavering commitment to the welfare and progress of our nation.”
The Speaker made the assurance even as Rep. France Castro (PL, ACT) questioned the President’s certification, saying it would only shorten the time for debates.
Castro asked if there was really an urgency that would merit the President’s certification.
“Is there an urgency? The 20224 budget is needed next year. Even if it’s certified now, it won’t be used immediately. The only thing the certification can do is railroad the debates, that are already short in the first place, to cover up the misuse of the people’s funds,” she said.
“There was a time that committee briefings and pre-plenary of over four weeks then 15 days of plenary, but now it is reduced to just 11 days of committee briefings and seven days of plenary. Add to this the much abused ‘parliamentary courtesy’ as well as extremely limited time to propound questions and you have a national budget that was barely scrutinized by Congress,” she also said.
“It is no wonder that many people think that the budget deliberations have been reduced to a venue to make vague, convoluted and even conflicting explanations on how the people’s money was spent on activities that are not part of their mandate and even ask for more funds for it,” Castro added.
Marcos’ certification of House Bill No. 8980 would allow the House of Representatives to expedite the passage of the GAB by voting on its passage on second and on third and final reading both on the same day, disregarding the three-session day requirement before bills approved on second reading can be approved for passage on third reading.
The House has been holding floor deliberations on the budget since Monday and intends to finish next week.
This means that the House may pass the budget on or before September 29, the last calendar day of sessions before it goes on recess.
Castro reminded the House of Representatives of its “duty to scrutinize the budget and ensure that every centavo spent is legal, above board and for the best interest of the Filipino people.”
“We are not the shield of the Executive against transparency and accountability. It is only by doing this duty and standing with those they supposedly represent will Congress counter the allegation that it is a rubberstamp of Malacañang,” she stressed.
