2019 budget baka maging unconstitutional (Hindi kami papayag — GMA)

SA KABILA ng kumalat na balita na ibabalik ng Senado ang panukalang batas sa Kamara dahil sa umano’y, ‘pagkalikot’ dito, sinabi ni House Speaker Gloria Maca­pagal Arroyo na inirati­pika na ito sangayon sa Saligang Batas.

Ani Arroyo, wala itong lump sum funds na ipinagbawal ng Korte Soprema.

“What we can say is that the process that we followed was cons­titu­tional. We would never put the President in a position of signing an unconstitutional bill,” ani Arroyo.

Giit ni Arroyo, hindi sila papayag sa gusto ng senado na magkaroon ng lump sum funds sa budget.

Ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, kahapon pumayag na aniya ang Kamara na bawiin ang mga dokumento sa bud­get na isinumite na sa Malacañang.

Sinabi ni San Juan Rep. Ronnie Zamora, ang pagsangayon ay pagpa­pakita ng gandang loob sa mga senador para makipag-usap muli sila sa mga kongresista.

“Well ayoko naman sabihing bumigay. Basically they wanted a sign of good faith in order to continue discussing at basically sinasabi nila nagpadala kayo ng ilang dokumento containing the enrolled bill. As you see it e kung puwede ba­wiin wala naman proble­ma because until the Senate President in fact signs that, that’s still not an enrolled bill ‘di ba?” paliwanag ni Zamora.

Sinabi ni Zamora na dapat magpresenta ng ebidensiya ang Senado na magpapatunay na nilabag ang Saligang Batas sa pag-itemize ng mga lump sum.

“They have to show me where it is illegal. Unang-una sinasabi na mayroon daw kaming ginalaw. Well I’ll tell you I’ve been in several bicameral conference committees before, not this one, I’m not a part of this conference com­mittee. Talaga namang ina-itemized lang ‘yung lump sum sapagkat sabi ng SC ‘di kayo puwedeng magpasa ng budget with lump sum. You have to itemize and the appro­priations leadership in the House says that is itemization. If the Senate says that is not itemi­zation, they should come up with specifics,” ani Zamora.

Sa panig ni Appro­pria­tions Chair Rolando Andaya Jr., walang kongresista ang maka­pagre-recall ng enrolled bill.

“The 2019 GAB was approved in plenary at the House of the Repre­sentatives. The ratifi­cation of the bicameral conference report on the national budget was also made in plenary. Recall of the 2019 GAB must also be done in plenary session, with majority members of the House in approval,” giit ni Andaya.

“No congressman has the authority, without plenary approval, to order the recall of the enrolled form of any bill already transmitted to the Senate,” dagdag ni Anda­ya.

ni Gerry Baldo