Senate sets eyes on budget, BBL upon resumption

MANILA, Philippines — As the Senate is set to resume its session on Tuesday, Senate President Franklin Drilon said on Monday the passage of the 2016 national budget and the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will top the Senate's agenda.

Drilon said the Senate is scheduled to conduct deliberations on the proposed P3.002-trillion national budget for 2016. He said the House of Representatives already approved its version of the 2016 General Appropriations Act on third reading on October 9 and was subsequently submitted to the Senate.

"The Senate will pass the 2016 budget on schedule, for the unimpeded and timely delivery of government services next year," Drilon said, adding that the Senate finance committee is discussing the budget.

The Senate President also mentioned they will resume working on the BBL, currently pending on the second reading at the Senate floor.

"We will continue to work hard on it so hopefully, it will hurdle the Senate before the year ends," Drilon vowed.

Drilon also noted that the Senate aims to pass the proposed act increasing the monthly pension under the Social Security System, a measure which he is personally supports.

Also in the Senate's secondary priorities are the pending Customs and Tariff Modernization Act and the Public-Private Partnership Act, as well as amendments to the charter of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation.

On Sunday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda also renewed the call for the early passage of the 2016 national budget and the BBL as the Congress.

"We have no reenacted (budget), so we hope that the budget will be passed on time before the yearend so that we can immediately implement the budget for the next year," Lacierda said in an interview over Radyo ng Bayan.

Lacierda said Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte are also pushing for the BBL to be finalized.

“This is really a bill that will secure the lasting peace and development (in Mindanao). There will be no development without peace; there will be no peace without development," Lacierda said.

"So this BBL is important in pushing peace and development for Muslim Mindanao. So, again, we also hope that both the House and the Senate will discuss and debate on the BBL and enact this bill into law. That's our aspiration to help the Muslims and Christians in Mindanao," he added.