THE House of Representatives and the Senate will resume session today, Nov. 4, with the ratification of the bill on the P6.352-trillion national budget as their top priority.
On Sunday, Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe said the House expects the Senate to pass a budget bill soon so that a bicameral committee (bicam) could come up with a common version of the bill.
“We hope to ratify the bicam report before our Dec. 20 Christmas break. There is enough time to approve the final version of the budget,” Dalipe said.
He said the proposed 2025 national budget would be ready for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signature before the year ends.
“As in the past, the spending program for the coming year will be in place before the current fiscal year is over to ensure continuity of spending and seamless implementation of activities and programs,” Dalipe said.
He said the House would continue the exercise of its oversight power through its committees.
The House quad committee was set to conduct more hearings on the drug war waged by the Duterte administration and alleged extrajudicial killings linked to it, Philippine offshore gaming operators and illegal drugs.
The quad panel’s 10th hearing is scheduled for Nov. 7.
Dalipe said the House blue ribbon committee would also continue its probe into fund use of the Department of Education and the Office of the Vice President.
The House would work for the passage of its remaining Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council priority measures.
The measures included the budget modernization bill, the national defense bill, amendment of the Agrarian Reform Law and amendment of the Foreign Investors’ Long-Term Lease Act.
Senate President Francis Escudero also said the chamber will focus on the national budget when it resumes session.
Sen. Grace Poe, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, said she is ready to sponsor the proposed 2025 General Appropriations Bill on Tuesday.
Asked whether the senators would move to include a special provision prohibiting the reallocation of PhilHealth funds, Escudero said, “The question is: will it only PhilHealth or other agencies as well?”
“What is the final decision of the Supreme Court? Is this money merely borrowed [from PhilHealth] or PhilHealth still has P90 billion in its account? This should be clarified,” Escudero said in Filipino and English.
“Why does PhilHealth have so much excess funds when we see a lot of our citizens do not actually obtain any benefits from PhilHealth?” he said during a radio interview Sunday.
“That is one of the things PhilHealth should clarify and answer in the upcoming deliberations. Because if we are going to add to the budget of PhilHealth but they’re not going to use it, then we lose, especially if there is inflation.”
Poe said the finance committee will start reviewing on Tuesday the proposed 2025 budget of the National Economic and Development Authority, the Department of Finance and the Department of Budget and Management.
She said the Senate will hold sessions on Thursdays to expedite the budget proceedings.
“We are anticipating the budget to be passed into third and final reading on November 26. By then, we expect the bicam to be held between November 28 and 30,” Poe said on Saturday.
“Usually, the Senate is on track with the schedule, and if we look at last year’s schedule, it’s nearly the same. So I think we can reach our goal of having the budget signed into law before the end of the year,” she said.
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