A festering dispute between the Senate and the House of Representatives has delayed the passage of the 2019 national budget and threatens to force the government to keep operating on a reenacted budget, which would stall key infrastructure projects.
Despite the ratification of the P3.8-trillion budget by the bicameral conference committee, the Senate has refused to sign the bill and send it to the President for signing, saying the House has introduced changes to the budget after it was approved by the bicameral conference committee.
The House, on the other hand, says it merely itemized lump sum funds that were already in the budget approved by the bicameral conference committee, and insists that both Senate and House members of the committee had agreed to this arrangement.
In fact, it says, the Senate has done the same thing with funding for its own projects, but has not been transparent about which individual senators pushed for them.
The accusations and finger pointing have helped no one.
How difficult, we are compelled to ask, is it to verify claims on either side and come to a final agreement? How is it that matters have degenerated into open bickering and debating through the media, after both sides had signed off on a “final” version of the budget in the bicameral conference committee? Why, too, has the chairperson of the Senate committee on finance, who announced the breakthrough at the bicameral committee, now fallen silent over the new round of disagreements?
On Monday, a member of the House accused a senator of holding the budget hostage, saying he had a personal axe to grind against the Speaker of the House.
The Senate president, meanwhile, has shown no sense of urgency to pass the spending plan, warning again of a reenacted budget that will last at least until August, if the House does not back down.
The Palace, understandably, has publicly taken a hands-off policy toward the dispute, observing correctly that Congress is an independent and co-equal branch of government.
On the other hand, it must realize that the continued public bickering over such a crucial piece of legislation as the national budget will hurt the economy and ultimately, people’s lives.
On various occasions, the Palace has emphasized the strong mandate that President Duterte earned by way of his election. Perhaps now is an opportune time for the President to spend some of his political capital, and persuade both chambers of Congress to come together on the budget, for the sake of the people who put all of them in office.