BAGAMA’T hindi agad naisalang para sa unang pagbasa sa plenaryo ng Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso, ang orihinal na bersiyon pa rin ng General Appropriations Bill (GAB), base sa 2020 National Expenditure Program (NEP) na nai-sumite ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM), ang isasalang sa pagbusisi ng House Committee on Appropriations.
Ito ang ginawang paglilinaw ni House Majority Leader at 1st Dist. Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez kung kaya wala aniyang dapat na ipangamba at hindi rin maaaring pag-isipan na may ‘insertions’ na nangyari sa nilalaman ng P4.1 trillion na panukalang pambansang budget para sa susunod na taon.
“It is the same GAB based on NEP (that) was referred again last Wednesday to the House Committee on Appropriations and without insertions. We will work overtime to finish the budget deliberations. We are ontrack to meet the target deadline,” pahayag ng Leyte province solon.
“The proposed 2020 national budget would be ‘pork-less’ and would no longer contain lump sums, except for certain appropriations like the calamity and the contingency funds. We are committed to pass a constitutionally compliant national budget. The House leadership (under Speaker Cayetano) will comply with the Supreme Court decisions that outlawed the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP),” giit pa niya.
Kasabay nito, kapwa ipinabatid nina Romualdez at House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Isidro Ungab (3rd Dist. Davao City) na makalipas ang dalawang linggo ay natapos na ang budget briefing ng iba’t ibang government agencies, kabilang ang Office of the President (OP), Office of the Vice-President (OVP) at Judiciary bilang bahagi ng paghimay ng lower house sa GAB.
“Under the effective guidance and leadership of Speaker Cayetano, everyone moved in accordance to his given task, and supported and coordinated with the leadership of the Committee on Appropriations which resulted in the early completion of the budget committee hearings last Friday, September 6,” ani Ungab.
Giit ng Davao City lawmaker, ang naisagawang ‘record time hearings’ ng kanyang komite ay resulta ng mahusay na paggabay ni Speaker Cayetano, na kasama ang mahigpit na tagubilin na maaprubahan nila sa takdang panahon ang ‘pork-free’ at illegal insertion-free budget’, na naglalayong higit pang paunlarin ang bansa, iangat ang kabuhayan at tiyaking nasa maayos ang kalagayan ng bawat sambayanang Filipino.
Bunsod nito, sinabi ni Romualdez na sisimulan na bukas ang dalawang linggong marathon plenary sessions para sa House Bill 4228 o ang Fiscal Year 2020 GAB matapos ang inaasahang pagsalang nito sa ‘sponsorhip’ sa kanilang session hall ngayong araw.
Ipinaabot naman ng house majority leader ang apela ni Speaker Cayetano sa lahat ng kapwa nila kongresista na pairalin ang ‘professionalism’ sa kanilang hanay sa gagawing floor deliberations ng HB 4228 upang masiguro na maaabot nila ang target na maaprubahan ito pagsapit ng Oktubre 4 o bago ang kanilang ‘recess’. ROMER R. BUTUYAN
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