Meanwhile, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte vowed yesterday to speed up the passage of this year’s P715-billion proposed national budget.
"Sonny Belmonte and I had a private audience with the President and we discussed the possibility of speeding up the approval of the budget," Pimentel said.
Pimentel said Finance Secretary Alberto Romulo has agreed to the proposal to tackle the national budget in two segments to give priority to the P2 billion budget for the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Pimentel said Congress can start discussing this year’s proposed budget after the Comelec’s budget has been approved.
Earlier, the House of Representatives approved and transmitted the proposed national budget to the Senate.
Pimentel said the Arroyo administration must be allowed to review the proposed budget because it was originally drafted under the Estrada administration.
"The new administration must have a hand in allocation of the national budget," he said.
Pimentel said this year’s proposed national budget might be passed into law when the 12th Congress opens in June.
The Chief Executive told a television interview last Thursday the May elections are facing budgetary problems because of the P200-billion deficit from the previous administration.
"It’s a question of getting from, or sacrificing some other things (in the budget)," she said.
Mrs. Arroyo made the announcement as Comelec Chairwoman Harriet Demetriou prepares to retire on Feb. 2.
"We cannot afford not to have an election because we’re a democracy," she said.
Mrs. Arroyo said the government is not bankrupt despite the estimated P200 billion budget deficit from the previous administration.
"I don’t want to use the word ‘bankrupt’," she said. "‘Bankrupt’ means that you have absolutely no cash and that’s not so. We do have a deficit of P200 billion, but ‘bankrupt’ is not the word."
Mrs. Arroyo said Romulo is going through austerity measures the government plans to undertake to "address" the deficit.
Mrs. Arroyo said she is confident Romulo and Budget and Management Secretary Emilia Boncodin will be able to put together a viable budgetary outlay without imposing new taxes.
Romulo reported to the Chief Executive that the government registered a P130 billion budget deficit last year, including at least P70 billion in unpaid accounts.
Presidential Spokesman Renato Corona denied yesterday reports that Mrs. Arroyo will name Fr. Joaquin Bernas, Ateneo College of Law dean, as Demetriou’s replacement.
"I’m sure President Arroyo will be happy if he (Bernas) agrees," he said. "But we have a separation of the Church and State. So chances are almost nil that he will join the Comelec." – Marichu Villanueva, Perseus Echeminada