Bicam OKs ’02 budget sans cuts

The House-Senate conference committee on the 2002 budget agreed yesterday to keep the outlay at P780.8 billion, without any reduction.

Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. (Lakas, Camarines Sur), who heads the House contingent in the committee, said his panel insisted that next year’s budget be maintained at the original level proposed by President Arroyo.

"As it is, the 2002 budget is already tight. It is barely enough for the country’s spending requirements," said Andaya, who chairs the House appropriations committee.

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. told reporters yesterday that he and his colleagues are prepared to work until Tuesday next week to finish the budget.

"We don’t want a repeat of last year when Congress failed to enact the 2001 budget, necessitating the re-enactment of the lower 2000 appropriations bill," he said.

The Senate has proposed that the outlay be cut, and that some major realignments, including the P10 billion for the modernization program of the Armed Forces, be made.

Andaya said although the conference committee’s consensus on the spending level effectively restores the cuts, the panel will now discuss the Senate-proposed realignments.

He said the House contingent will bat for keeping a substantial part of the P10 billion fund for the military’s modernization that senators want to divert to other programs.

He said the modernization of the Armed Forces is mandated under a law enacted by Congress but which has remained unimplemented and unfounded for several years.

He stressed that the military is entitled to some funds constituting its share from the sale of Fort Bonifacio and other camps.

Andaya said House conferees will also fight for maintaining the agrarian reform fund which the Senate is proposing to cut by more than P1 billion.

He estimated that the bicameral panel would be ready to submit its report to the two chambers of Congress tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon.

He said the conferees will continue meeting today and tomorrow morning.

The Senate has adjourned its session until tomorrow apparently in time for the submission of the conference committee report. – With Aurea Calica