House to hold additional sessions to pass P3-T 2016 budget

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives will hold extra sessions so it can approve the proposed P3.002-trillion 2016 national budget before lawmakers go on a three-week recess next weekend.

“We will hold sessions Monday through Friday this week and next week for the budget. We are scheduled to approve it next Friday,” Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said yesterday.

The House usually convenes only from Monday through Wednesday.

Gonzales said he was confident that the House would be able to muster a quorum for the critical parts of the deliberations where enough attendance is needed, like when the budget proposal would be put to a vote.

“Our members have always responded to our call for attendance. We cannot approve the budget without a quorum,” he said.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III said he has no doubt that his colleagues would show up in the two weeks of sessions devoted to the proposed budget for next year.

“Based on our timetable, we have to finally pass the budget before the end of the year to avoid the reenactment of this year’s outlay. Though a recycled budget is advantageous to the administration especially in an election year, President Aquino does not want a reenacted spending law,” he said.

Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, appropriations committee chairman, was sponsoring and defending the proposed 2016 budget late yesterday afternoon.

For the next two weeks, the different departments and agencies will defend their budgets.

The budget proposal would then be subjected to amendments before it is put to a second-reading vote.