Storms 'kill' Con-Con in 2010 (House scraps P2-B budget for Con-Con)

Written by Carmela Fonbuena
Monday, 12 October 2009


In order to prioritize funding for relief and rehabilitation of typhoon-struck areas, the House appropriations committee on Monday scrapped the proposed P2 billion budget for the Constitutional Convention (Con-con) that would amend the 1987 Constitution.

"We have to avoid appropriating for something that's not urgent in light of catastrophe," argued Makati City Rep. Teodoro Locsin, who favors constitutional amendments.

Notwithstanding the setback, House committee on constitutional amendments chair La Union Rep. Victor Ortega said he is still confident that the Con-con will still push through.

On the final week before Congress' scheduled recess on October 16, the House plenary is scheduled to deliberate on the still unnumbered concurrent resolution seeking to hold elections for Con-con delegates in October 2010, simultaneous with the scheduled barangay elections.

As proposed by House committee on appropriations chair Quirino Rep. Junie Cua, the committee agreed that additional election expenses that will not be covered by the budget allocation for the barangay elections may be sourced from the "savings" of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The committee also agreed to postpone convening of the Con-con from November 2010 to January 2011. This way, the next Congress can discuss the budget for the operations of the Concon in the 2011 budget.

The previously approved P2.084 billion budget for the operations of the Con-con covers the per diem and the allowances of 219 delegates and their staff, capital outlay, and maintenance and other operating expenses and contingency fund. (See related story: House committee OKs P2-B for Con-Con )

Ortega said he expects "smooth approval" of the resolutions in both the House and Senate.

In the Senate, at least three similar resolutions filed by Senators Manuel Roxas II, Richard Gordon, and Aquilino Pimentel are also pending.
P10-B supplemental budget

House Speaker Prospero Nograles on Sunday announced that the House committee on appropriations has approved an unnumbered joint resolution allocating P10 billion supplemental budget "to beef up what is left of the P2-billion calamity fund that was depleted by the massive devastation caused by the series of powerful typhoons that hit the country over the past several weeks."

Nograles said the supplemental budget was approved on Friday. He said he expects "swift approval" of the measure on Monday.

"Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng brought a horrific logistical nightmare in our disaster management and rehabilitation capabilities. We need this supplemental calamity fund if we want to help our people whose lives were destroyed by Ondoy and Pepeng," he said.

Details of the joint resolution or where the funding will be sourced have yet to be ironed out.

But Nograles said the joint resolution will allow the government to use unprogrammed appropriations to provide relief and fast track the rehabilitation of areas devastated by the typhoons.

He said Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile also made a commitment to facilitate the resolution's swift approval before Congress goes on recess.

It was Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya's proposal to use the "Unprogrammed Fund" in the 2009 budget for relief and rehabilitation expenses.

A supplemental budget can be drawn if the National Treasury certifies availability of funds or money from new collections resulting from new revenue measures.

"The congressmen realized that the two can't be met in the case of the supplemental budget because, first, we are running a huge deficit; and second, it is late in the day to pass a tax measure. The next route is via the Unprogrammed Fund which can only be tapped if there are loan and grant proceeds or if revenues over and above the original target for the year will materialize," said Andaya. (abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak)


Source: http://newsbreak.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6941&Itemid=88889051