Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III on Monday said he concurs with House of Representatives Speaker Lord Allan Velasco’s position that the Lower House is pushing to increase the calamity fund by P5 billion.
“As a matter of fact, I will not be surprised if the Senate added more,” Sotto said during a virtual interview with Senate reporters.
Sotto said an increase in the calamity fund could take place when the Senate and Lower House bicameral conference committee panels meet soon to iron out the differing provisions of their versions of the proposed P4.5-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
Or it might take place when the Senate begin to accept amendments from senators on the budgets of the different departments, bureaus, agencies and offices of the national government, he added.
During the period of amendments, Velasco’s P5-billion figure might even be increased to P10 billion, he said.