Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Monday urged the Senate to “rethink” its proposed time frame for passing the 2019 national budget, saying it would be “impossible to accomplish” with so many items that need to be tackled. According to Lacson, the 271 items on the agenda will be “impossible” to take up before the close the period of interpellation this Friday, Dec. 7. Lacson insisted the task would be “impossible to accomplish.”“So I would like to suggest that we have to rethink our position on the package of the 2019 budget, Mr. President,” he said. Sotto, citing the time it would take to print the proposal and for it to be approved by the bicameral conference committee, blamed the House of Representatives for the delay of the passage of the 2019 national budget. He noted that in 2017, the Senate was able to start deliberating on the national budget in October.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 03, 2018 10:30 UTC