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Manila Bulletin devider devider Sotto says he won't approve changes in 2019 budget allegedly made by House leaders

Sotto says he won't approve changes in 2019 budget allegedly made by House leaders

Published Mar 5, 2019 05:02 pm
By Vanne Terrazola  Senate President Vicente Sotto III vowed on Tuesday not to sign the changes allegedly made by the House of Representatives in the Congress-ratified 2019 national budget. Senator Vicente Sotto III (Kevin Tristan Espiritu / MANILA BULLETIN) Senator Vicente Sotto III
(Kevin Tristan Espiritu / MANILA BULLETIN) Sotto made the assurance after the Senator Panfilo Lacson accused the Lower Chamber, led by Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, of manipulating the ratified bicameral report on the P3.757-trillion proposed 2019 spending program by inserting "pork" allocations. "I will not sign anything that we did not approve. You should know me better than that," the Senate chief said in a text message sent to reporters. Sotto also confirmed being aware of the supposed move by congressmen. He said he was already consulting Lacson and Senate Finance Committee chair Loren Legarda on the Upper Chamber's possible actions against this. "I think I would know what to do," Sotto said. Earlier, Lacson bared that Congress has not yet forwarded to President Duterte the 2019 budget as the House was still tweaking the budget bill before its printing and enrollment for the President signature. Citing information from some House members, Lacson said Arroyo, among others, allocated P25 million "for her favored congressmen" through the Department of Health's budget for Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP). Such "grave abuse of discretion" by Arroyo, Lacson said, also violates the Constitution.
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