Budget, TRAIN bill face delay in Senate

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate is again facing a delay in the approval of the P3.767-trillion national budget for 2018 and the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) bill due to the country’s hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit from Nov. 13 to 15.

Initially, the Senate was planning to hold its plenary sessions from Nov. 13 to 15 in spite of those days being declared by Malacañang as holidays for Metro Manila so that it could finish the debates on the two key bills and approve them right away.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III previously set the deliberations for the national budget on those three days and the TRAIN bill on Nov. 14 and 15, which are not session days for Congress.

Pimentel said he would work out a possible arrangement with the officials concerned with the security of the ASEAN Summit since it would be held at the Philippine International Convention Center complex in Pasay City where the Senate is also located.

However, Pimentel said yesterday that the holding of sessions on those dates would no longer be possible.

“No more sessions from Nov. 13 to 15. Security measures will be too tight, hence better that the entire Senate cooperates with our security authorities,” he said.

It was not clear if the sessions planned for Nov. 16 and 17 would still push through.

Pimentel said he would have to work out a new schedule for the debates with Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III.

As a result of the ASEAN holidays, Congress would be left with just four weeks to pass both the 2018 national budget and the TRAIN before it adjourns for the year.

The budget measure would take priority because failure to approve this within the year would result in the country operating on a reenacted budget next year.