House aims to end budget deliberations

MANILA, Philippines - The House committee on appropriations will try to finish this week deliberations on the proposed P22.467-billion supplemental budget sought by Malacañang amid criticisms by independent lawmakers that the last-minute outlay was riddled with vague lump sum allocations.

Majority leader and Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali Gonzales II and Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, also said the bicameral conference committee on the proposed P2.606-trillion national budget is scheduled to meet today to finalize details of the reconciled version of the measure so both the House and the Senate can ratify it before Congress adjourns for the Christmas break.

“We will start the committee hearings for the supplemental budget in the afternoon (Monday),” Ungab said. “Committee hearings may be conducted up to Tuesday or Wednesday.

“We can approve it by Wednesday if there will be few questions or clarifications from the members of the committee,” he added.