By Ben Rosario
The House of Representatives Friday assured President Duterte that there was nothing unconstitutional in the recently passed joint resolution, proposing to extend beyond 2019 the validity of the current national budget.
House of the Representatives (ALVIN KASIBAN / MANILA BULLETIN / FILE PHOTO)
Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, made the assurance after Duterte declared that he would veto House Joint Resolution No. 10 if it will disagree with the provisions of the 1987 Constitution.
“I don’t expect a veto. A veto is bad for the economy and public services,” said Salceda, who is also a senior vice chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations.
Salceda said the adoption of HJR 10 was not against the Constitution because it is “well within the powers of Congress” to pass it.
Furthermore, the veteran administration lawmaker stressed that the Duterte administration, through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), supported the approval of the measure as its officials attended House and Senate hearings that tackled the joint resolution.
“The DBM supported the measure in the House and Senate hearings, and posed no objections and committed to abide by wisdom of Congress,” said Salceda.
He explained that some of the projects that may not be implemented as a result of the lapse of the 2019 budget are “sequential or conditions to the next budget.”
“The extension is good for the economy since it considers the five months delay in 2019 budget,” said Salceda.
It was Presidential Spokesman Secretary Salvador Panelo who revealed that the President had certain misgivings over the constitutionality of HJR 10.
Panelo recalled that the President signed Executive Order 91, ordering the government to adopt a cash budgeting system (CBS) starting 2019.
CBS provides that all appropriations will have to be made available for obligation and disbursement only until the end of each fiscal year.
“If the EO was made by the President, that means the assumption there is, there is an irregularity, and therefore in accord with the Constitution,” Panelo explained to reporters.
HJR 10 provides for the extension of the validity of the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) and capital outlay of the P3.757 trillion national budget.
The leadership of the House of Representatives has reached a consensus to prioritize the passage of a measure that would extend the validity of the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) and capital outlay (CO) of the 2019 P3.757 trillion national budget.
House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez underscored the significance of passing the measure in pursuing the infrastructure program of the government.
“We have to ensure that funding requirements of some important national projects under the 2019 GAA (General Appropriations Act) will continue until next year. Without the extension, the unused funds will go back to the National Treasury,” said Romualdez.
He added: “This is the best option to address the delayed implementation of programs and projects for the delivery of basic services.”
Two proposed resolutions were filed in the Lower House with both two joint resolutions seeking to amend Section 65 of the General Provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 11260, otherwise known as the GAA of Fiscal Year 2019, which provides that all appropriations shall be available for release and obligation until December 31,2019.
Under the joint resolution there are appropriations that have not been released and allotment issued that have not been obligated which shall automatically result to the reversion of the said unexpended appropriations to the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund of the much-needed MOOE and CO to fund priority projects, medical assistance program, aid, and relief activities as well as for the maintenance, construction/repair, and rehabilitation of schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, and other essential facilities of the national government.