MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives’ contingent to last-ditch talks to break the budget deadlock has to “ensure” that the spending bill would “not only be constitutional and legal” but also “pass the test of transparency and accountability,” House Majority Leader Fredenil Castro said Monday. ADVERTISEMENTHe was referring to House appropriations committee chair and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman, and San Juan City Rep. Ronaldo Zamora. READ: Senators, congressmen meet to iron out kinks in 2019 budgetCastro vouched for the ability of his colleagues to strike a deal in the meeting. In an earlier interview in the Senate, Andaya said he hoped that they could finally send this year’s budget bill to President Rodrigo Duterte before March 29, Friday. ADVERTISEMENTThe country would continue to operate under the 2018 reenacted budget until Congress ends the budget impasse and sends the expenditure plan to the President’s table.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 25, 2019 05:03 UTC