GMA CHALLENGED TO SIGN NEW NAT'L BUDGET BEFORE YEAREND

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today challenged President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to sign the Pl.45 trillion national budget for fiscal year 2010 before the end of 2009 to prevent a reversion to the old budget through automatic reenactment.

Pimentel said both the Senate and House of Representatives exerted extra efforts to expedite the passage of the budget bill before the Christmas break and do away with the vicious cycle of the national budget being reenacted year after year during the past nine years of the Arroyo presidency because of delayed approval by Congress.

"This time we succeeded to pass the budget bill on time, thanks to the determination and diligence of leaders and members of both chambers of Congress. However, our efforts would be put to naught if nothing will be done by the Chief Executive to match them by way of signing the measure before 2009 bows out," he said.

The minority leader said Mrs. Arroyo should do her part in seeing to it that the old budget is reenacted if only as a symbolic gesture to respect and uphold the appropriation power that is vested in Congress by the Constitution.

Pimentel said a reenacted budget should be avoided at all costs to erase any suspicion that there are efforts on the part of Malacanang to clandestinely siphon off public funds to the campaign of administration candidates in a bid to influence the outcome of the elections especially the presidential contest.

In the past, he said the unpleasant practice of having a reenacted budget has been taken advantage by the executive to realign savings to projects based entirely on her discretion and caprice which had the effect of reducing the whole budget to a presidential pork barrel.

"This has made a mockery of the budget process, characterized by blatant disregard for the constitutional rule that no public funds can be spent without a corresponding authority from Congress. Consequently, the inherent power of Congress over the purse becomes a farce," he said.

Pimentel said if there are obstacles to the signing of the national budget before yearend, these could always be overcome if the President so desires.

"However, I really doubt whether the President can do it. Delays in the approval and effectivity of the new budget will be favorable to the administration. But if she fails to sign the budget bill before the end of 2009, that will give rise to suspicion that she is up to something. Whatever it is, the President will have to account for her action," he said.

Should the Palace drag its feet in the final approval of budget, he said they can always find an alibi like they would need longer time for reviewing the changes made by Congress in the appropriations bill and for the printing of the budget documents.

Pimentel said he is also afraid that the President may veto the special provisions that he and other lawmakers have inserted into the budget bill to safeguard lump sum appropriations against misuse.