SENATE President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero announced on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, that the Senate would wait for the House of Representatives to pass the General Appropriations Bill 2025 before tackling the budget bill in the plenary.
Escudero clarified that the Senate has no issue with the proposed 2025 budget for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and that it will be up to Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Committee on Finance, to defend the OVP’s budget during the plenary session.
“Actually, what we would be taking up is what to do with the House’s proposal regarding the OVP budget. Do we agree, do we add, or do we subtract? As for the budget itself, that’s all that was discussed. But the issues behind that are over with the committee because it is already a member of the Senate who is defending the budget. In this case, Sen. Grace will be the one defending the budget, not the Vice President,” Escudero explained after attending the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting in Malacañang Palace.
During the LEDAC meeting, Escudero reported that “a lot of agreements and understandings” were reached. He confirmed that the Rice Tariffication Law will be ratified before the recess, and clarified certain points regarding the proposed Department of Water, amendments to the EPIRA, and the Universal Health Care Act.
“I’d like to say that increased coordination between the House and the Executive through the Office of Executive Secretary has helped a lot. I am very optimistic and confident that vetos or returns to the bicameral conference committee for a second, third, or fourth time will be avoided henceforth,” he added.
