House approves 2014 budget on third and final reading By PATRICIA DENISE CHIU, October 22, 2013 6:09pm 64 3 0 86 (Updated 7:05 p.m.) Voting 219-22, the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved the P2.268-trillion proposed national budget for 2014 sans the controversial lump-sum Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocation.The chamber approved House Bill 2630, or the 2014 General Appropriations Act, after nearly two months of committee hearings and plenary debates.“There is a total scrapping of yung PDAF as lumpsum. Nandun na siya sa six agencies. And then dun kami tumagal sa submission ng sa DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways),” said Davao Rep. Isidro Ungab, head of the House appropriations committee.Meant to be approved on Monday, the House finally approved the measure late Tuesday afternoon,following a delay in printing of budget materials.“If you will look at the budget, mahaba talaga,” Ungab said.House members voted nominally, with lawmakers given three minutes each to explain his or her vote after all the votes have been counted.The House version of the 2014 General Appropriations bill features the re-channelled PDAF of lawmakers into six social service agencies, following the alleged misuse of the funds through bogus non-government organizations associated with trader Janet Lim-Napoles.Lawmakers, however, can still recommend projects to the six government agencies.Ungab said nearly all congressman submitted proposals for hard projects for 2014.“Almost all ay nagpasa, kaunti lang ang hindi nag-submit,” he said, adding that the projects are limited to the guidelines set by the Department of Public Works and Highways.“Merong limitations, roads and bridges, school buildings, water systems, multipurpose buildings, yun yung mga major infrastructure na pwede,” Ungab said.Ungab also said the measure was certified as urgent by President Benigno Aquino III, prompting the chamber to pass the bill quickly.“It was certified as urgent. Si Speaker (Sonny Belmonte) yung nagbigay ng idea na dapat i-certify,” he said.Prior to the voting, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiancgo moved to suspend the voting for three days, noting that lawmakers only received a copy of the bill Tuesday afternoon.House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II, however, said it had been the practice of Congress to pass the budget as soon as lawmakers received a copy of the bill.Ungab said the House is set to forward the budget bill to the Senate Wednesday morning.Once the Senate passes the budget, a bicameral conference will be convened to reconcile differences in the two versions. The 22 no votes came from the minority bloc headed by Majority Leader Ronaldo Zamora and the independent bloc led by Leyte Rep. FerdinandMartin Romualdez. Romualdez’ group earlier said they opposed the lump-sum funds of the chief executive itemized in the budget. For her part, Gabriela party-list Rep. Luz Ilagan also expressed dismay over the Aquino administration’s failure to abolish presidential and lawmakers’ pork barrel in the 2014 national budget. “We oppose the lump-sum appropriations or the pork barrel of the president. Aquino is not exempted from the evils of the pork barrel system,” said Ilagan.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 12:53:43 +0000
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