What? No budget law again!

It is five more days before Christmas. I used to count the days before Christmas with so much excitement during those most recent times of my childhood. I have to make that distinction about the period of time, lest you think I’m that old already. Touché!

With child-like glee, I was so excited when we had our traditional raffle of Christmas prizes at the Tuesday Club in EDSA Shangri-La in Pasig City. Amid the festive atmosphere, I suddenly felt a tinge of sadness when I could not see the very familiar face of our dearly departed STAR publisher Max V. Soliven. As chairman of the Tuesday Club, Mr. Soliven was always in the center of the headtable and his boisterous laughter and swaggering presence had always turned the occasion into one big, happy family celebration of Christmas parties past.

Times really fly fast and before we knew, it is now almost a month since he passed away last Nov. 24. Unfortunately, super typhoon "Senyang" caused the postponement of the burial rite for Mr. Soliven last Dec. 1 at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio in Makati City. His ashes currently lie in state at their family residence in North Greenhills, San Juan. His widow, Ambassador Preciosa Soliven reset the burial rites to Jan. 10. Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye confirmed to me the attendance of President Arroyo for the burial ceremonies for Mr. Soliven before she goes to her busy schedule for the rescheduled Leaders’ Summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Cebu next month.

Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. assured me that everything is already set for the burial rites, including the military honors for Mr. Soliven who had been a staunch supporter of Filipino soldiers. "By the way," to quote the title of the column of Mr. Soliven, the AFP is marking tomorrow their 71st founding anniversary, without the usual military parade and other fanfare to celebrate this special occasion.

However, Mrs. Arroyo, as the Commander-in-Chief of the AFP, would still be joining them in a simple program of flag-raising, mass, and awarding ceremonies for the men and women of AFP being honored for their heroism in the performance of their duties in and out of the battlefields. But like the rest of government agencies, the AFP would again suffer the consequences of the never-ending battle in the political field, specifically the renewed war between the Senate and the House of Representatives on one hand, and the Palace-Congress row over the proposed budget law.

The bicameral conference committee on the proposed 2007 General Appropriations Act (GAA) reportedly failed to work out their differences yesterday on the consolidated version of the P1.126 trillion budget. The deadlock came even as both chambers of Congress are all ready to go on a vacation for their three-week Christmas recess starting tomorrow. If nothing comes out of the bicam before that time, we are seeing another reenacted budget. This means the national government would be using anew the Congress-approved GAA of 2005 for the second consecutive year now.

For all the weaknesses and defects in our country’s 1987 Constitution, it is a good thing there is a provision in this highest law of the land for the automatic reenactment of the previous year’s budget law in case Congress fails to pass a new one on or before Dec. 31. If not for this provision in our Constitution, government function will be paralyzed every year each time our leaders quarrel on the unequal distribution of their "pork-barrel" allocations.

The conferees from the Senate and House panels reportedly did not agree on specific provisions on certain items in the 2007 budget, specifically on the "insertions" and realignments to the original Palace-endorsed 2007 GAA. The respective panels composed of Sen. Frank Drilon, as the chairman of the Senate finance committee, and Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, as the chairman of the House appropriations committee, broke up after both sides refused to budge on certain re-aligned budget provisions which were obviously budget allocations in aid of reelection.

Both Drilon and Salceda are in their last terms in Congress. In the case of Drilon, he has previously sounded out his possible running in the congressional district of Iloilo in the May 2007 elections. Salceda has earlier talked about his going back to private banking. But it could not be far-fetched if Salceda, who is publicly known as one of the closest among the economic advisers of the President, would finally accede to being appointed to a key post in the Executive Department.

During this yearend period, I would not be surprised if Mrs. Arroyo implements another "mini" shake-up in her Cabinet. There are very strong indications that third-termer Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. of Surigao del Sur is up for a possible posting as new secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The incumbent DPWH secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. is being groomed to become the new Defense secretary. Pichay’s namesake, House majority leader Prospero Nograles (Davao) called me last Monday to correct me that he is still on his second term in Congress, and not a third-termer Congressman.

Given these usual changes in key Executive posts, there is reportedly so much "sniping" taking place as some influential groups try to cash in their chips after the feared "people power" crowd did not materialize in the "prayer rally" at Luneta last Sunday. The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) did not join it, while the El Shaddai charismatic movement of Bro. Mike Velarde merely deployed an obviously token delegation.

The "prayer rally" lost its steam when the House leaders abandoned the Constituent Assembly drive. But this became an opportunity for these influence groups to claim credit for this low crowd turnout at the "prayer rally." Unscrupulous influence peddlers are salivating to get the juicy post of Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales whose collection performance in his first year in office has so far saved him from these wolves trying to discredit him. With the full backing of his immediate superior, Finance Secretary Gary Teves, the Customs chief is safe for now, given the on-target schedule of the budget deficit reduction goal of the Arroyo administration. Given the 12 percent (previously 10 percent) expanded value added taxes imposed this year, which now includes petroleum products and electricity, there is no reason for the government to miss its deficit reduction schedule.

But with no budget law again for 2007, the Arroyo administration’s zero-budget deficit target might as well remain at the realms of mission impossible.

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