Congress deadlock perils May poll budget

The Senate and the House of Representatives have been deadlocked on the proposed P864-billion 2004 national budget, jeopardizing an additional P500 million that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has requested for the holding of the May elections.

Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., who chairs the Senate finance committee, told reporters yesterday that the bicameral conference on the budget was adjourned because the House was insisting that Congress not enact a new spending measure for this year.

He said congressmen want the government to continue operating on the re- enacted 2003 budget.

He said if the Senate agrees to the House proposal, the additional funds that the Comelec has requested for the elections on May 10 will not be available.

During the Senate deliberations on the budget last week, the Comelec asked for P1 billion more in election funds. But the Villar committee cut the request by half.

However, an organization calling itself Service Group for National Legislation Inc. called attention to the fact that the Comelec had only P2.4 billion in the 2003 budget.

In a statement, the group said even if the additional P500 million that the Villar committee gave the Comelec would be added to last year’s P2.4 billion, the total of P2.9 billion would still not be enough for the May elections.

It noted that in the proposed 2004 budget, the Comelec has an outlay of P3.26 billion, excluding the additional money that Congress was willing to appropriate.

The group warned that unless this year’s budget is enacted, the poll commission would be severely hampered in conducting the May elections.

Villar said he and his colleagues would oppose the proposal of the House, which is dominated by the ruling Lakas party, that the government continue operating on the reenacted 2003 appropriations law.

"I would like to reiterate that we in the Senate are pushing for the passage of the 2004 national budget. It is imperative for Congress to pass the national budget because failure to do so would give a big advantage to the administration. I will not allow the Senate to be used by any party to further its personal interests," he said.

He said if the legislature does not enact a budget for this year, the reenacted budget would be a huge discretionary fund of Malacañang.

Villar pointed out that the Senate worked long hours last week just to be able to approve the appropriations measure.

"I am proud to say that we have done our work promptly, beating the deadline imposed on us despite the failure of our House counterparts to do so," he said.

Villar said he could not understand why congressmen want to reenact last year’s budget.

"Failure on our part to enact a budget could possibly increase our budget deficit further and adversely affect the implementation of vital projects to benefit the masses," he said.

Villar warned that the ruling party could use the reenacted budget to its advantage since without a 2004 appropriations law, there would be no legislation that would regulate government spending this year.