The House of Representatives has converted into a bill the resolution extending until Dec. 31, 2020 the validity of the budget for maintenance and other operating expenses and capital outlay of this year’s P3.757-trillion national budget.
Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, chairman of the House committee on ways and means, said the move was intended to avoid possible legal questions in the future.
“The SC [has] ruled that a mere resolution cannot amend or repeal a prior law which is an act of Congress. A Republic Act should also be amended or repealed by a Republic Act,” Ungab said.
The bill was expected to be approved on second reading last night after it was referred to the floor by the House committee on rules chaired by Majority Leader Martin Romualdez.
The House adopted House Joint Resolution 19 by a vote of 199 last Nov. 4.
Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda of Antique authored House Bill 5400 to amend section 65 of Republic Act 11260 or the 2019 General Appropriations Act.
The House rules provide that the House will still have to withdraw the passage of the HJR 19 in favor of House Bill 5400.
Ungab said that the House decided to convert into bill the resolution on the 2019 budget validity in light of the SC ruling on the salary of public nurses.
He said the high court decision states that an amendment to the Philippine Nursing Act setting the salary grade of nurses from 11 to 15 through Joint Resolution 4 was “invalid.”
Congress moves to extend the validity of this year’s budget, citing the delays in the enactment of the 2019 General Appropriations Bill early this year and the election ban on the implementation of infrastructure projects and social services.
“The late passage of the 2019 GAA and the election ban on the implementation of infrastructure projects and social services in view of the May 13, 2019 National and Local Elections resulted in the delay of the implementation of the infrastructure projects and basic social services,” the bill said.
Meanwhile, with the year about to end, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto asked Malacañang to submit government pay hike bill.
“When will it come out of the Palace kitchen? ‘Please expedite’ is not one marginal note we would like to send them, but a big shout out,” said Recto.
He recalled that Malacañang promised to increase the salaries of civil servants through SSL V, the Duterte Edition.
He said the money for the increases, in the amount of P31.1 billion, had been pre-parked in the 2020 national budget. “The money is there, the bill on its use will come later.”
“And there is nothing wrong with putting the cart before the horse, as it assures government employees that a salary increase is a done deal,” he added.
The SSL V would require a separate law. It cannot be a rider in the General Appropriations Act. It also cannot be implemented via an executive order. It can only be authorized by a congressional act.
After the uniformed services had their salary increases two years ago, government is duty-bound to extend the same to civilian government employees.
It was a promise made to them, that after their uniformed counterparts have received theirs, the one for them will follow soon. It is time to redeem this promissory note.
Recto said he can only surmise that the Palace is having a hard time calibrating the increases, and apportioning how much each one would get.
“And, yes, this is not an easy exercise to pull off, as the government pay scale has 33 grades, with 8 steps each, meaning 258 different pay grades must be attached with new amounts,” further said Recto.
“The fact is, the pie, when cut, will result in not so big slices. P31.1 billion divided by 1.391 million civilian employees, and divided further by 13 months will result in an average P1,718 monthly increase per employee,”
Our early Christmas wish is for the Palace to submit the bill soon, so that Congress can debate on it, and bring it to the President’s table for his signature before Christmas Day.