House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. on Sunday spoke of the need to finance and implement the programs of President Rodrigo Duterte to guarantee continuing development and advancement in the countryside and to promote peace and order.
He made the statement following the approval of the proposed budget for 2019.
“The approved bill retains and in some cases augments the funding for all the major programs requested by President Duterte,” said Andaya, chairman of the committee on rules.
“It is completely aligned with the President’s thrust of using this budget and tax revenues to finance progress and peace.”
Under the leadership of Speaker Gloria Arroyo, “not one major program of the President was scrapped” in the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019, Andaya said.
“In general, we followed the specs [specifications] of the proposed budget that he [Duterte]) sent to us.”
Voting 196 against eight with no abstentions, the House of Representatives on Nov. 20 approved on third and final reading the proposed 2019 General Appropriations Bill.
Andaya dismissed the allegations of Senator Panfilo Lacson who blamed the delay in the budget’s passage to the alleged pork insertions.
The House transmitted the budget to the Senate.
Andaya said Congress was open to changes should the Senate introduce different proposals when it meets in a bicameral committee conference.