Roxas fears re-enacted budget for 2010

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Manuel Roxas II said Malacañang might deliberately delay the submission of its proposed budget program for 2010 to force the re-enactment of this year’s budget from which some P300 billion in “rough savings” could be drawn and used for dubious purposes.

Roxas stressed a re-enacted budget is “dangerous” during election season. He said that from the P1.4-trillion budget this year, some P225 billion may be tapped for questionable uses.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. have also called on the Palace to submit its budget proposal as soon as possible so the Senate could hold hearings on the measure simultaneously with the House of Representatives.

Zubiri and Pimentel said with the election season and the filing of the certificates of candidacy by November, the passage of important measures might be sacrificed.

Zubiri said Congress only has two months of session and will go on a three-week break in November. By that time, lawmakers admit politicians will already be busy campaigning for the 2010 elections.

But Zubiri said the budget was very important because it could serve as economic stimulus for the country.

Zubiri said this was the reason why Sen. Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Senate finance committee, was willing to conduct marathon hearings to finish the budget.

“We’re planning to start the hearings hopefully in August. The problem is Malacañang has not yet submitted the national budget. We are entering the election season and I believe the Comelec (Commission on Elections) has agreed already that the national conventions for political parties would start in October,” Zubiri said.

But Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. assured lawmakers that there would be no re-enacted budget for next year and said the Development Budget Coordinating Council (DBCC) would be able to meet the Aug. 27 deadline for the submission of the budget proposal.  – Aurea Calica, Paolo Romero and Christina Mendez