House junks initiative to override budget veto

The House of Representatives doused cold water yesterday on an opposition initiative to override President Estrada's veto of several special provisions in the P629-billion 2000 budget.

The decision was arrived at in a caucus held by members of the ruling Lapian ng Masang Pilipino (LAMP)-dominated majority led by Speaker Manuel Villar.

"It's a lose-lose situation for us, especially when election time is fast approaching," Rep. Danilo Suarez (LAMP, Quezon) told reporters after the caucus.

He said if they go along with the initiative of opposition congressmen to defeat the presidential veto, they will incur the ire of the President, who is their party boss.

Mr. Estrada can get back at them by denying their districts of funds, he said.

Congressmen belonging to the minority bloc have been prodding the House leadership to schedule a vote on Mr. Estrada's veto as required by the chamber's rules.

Last week, Deputy Speaker Erico Aumentado, presiding over the session, grudgingly set the vote for tomorrow.

Reacting to the majority bloc's decision to let the veto stay, Rep. Juan Migul Zubiri (Lakas, Bukidnon) said he still hopes that his LAMP colleagues would "find courage in their hearts and obey the wish of their constituents and their consciences."

He said the 40-member minority would be happy if the House votes to restore some of the vetoed special provisions.

"This way, we can send the message to the executive that it should not tread on us. If we do not draw the line today, we might not be able to overturn future vetoes which are more injurious to public interest," he added.

He said one of the provisions he wants restored is the enumeration of 35,000 elementary schools all over the country, with the corresponding number of teacher positions, which was attached to the education department's budget.

"It was merely a listing of public elementary schools nationwide. The President's argument that the list would handcuff him from exercising budgetary flexibility does not hold water. It is even ridiculous," he stressed.

He pointed out that the enumeration was inserted in the budget to prevent the entry in the payroll of ghost teachers and pursuant to Malacañang's budgetary policy of "what-you-see-is-what-you-get."