MANILA – Malacañang stands by the President Rodrigo Duterte-approved P3.757-trillion cash-based national budget for 2019.
“We don’t want a reenacted budget. We want the constituents of the Republic to benefit from the projects identified for the year 2019 by their duly elected representatives in Congress,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque Jr. told a press briefing on Tuesday.
Opposing a cash-based budgeting system, both the House of Representatives and the Senate suspended their budget deliberations.
But House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya later clarified that their chamber will not move toward a reenacted budget.
Under a reenacted budget mechanism, the previous year’s general appropriations law will be used for the following year.
“I’m very happy with the declaration of the (House) majority floor leader. … We welcome that as well,” Roque said, adding that they hope for a “smooth working relationship” between the executive and legislative branches.
“We consider the House as an important ally in our discharge of official functions,” he added. “This is the single most important job of the House of Representatives. … When the Constitution talks about the budget originating from the House, this means this is the sacred duty of the House, and we defer to them.”/PN
