DAVAO CITY (March 13)— President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Tuesday night met the key leaders of the Senate and the House of Congress but the warring group failed to resolve the 2019 budget impasse.
Last night Duterte brokered the meeting between the key members of the Senate and the House of Representatives but the meeting ended without resolving the issue involving the proposed P3.757-trillion 2019 national budget.
On Monday March 11, Duterte assured the public that he would not sign the 2019 national budget if there are provisions that violate Constitutional requirements, “I will not sign anything that would be an illegal document.”
The two chambers continue to disagree on the proposed national budget, one alleged there was revisions and insertions made by the House of Representatives after the bicameral committee endorsed its version.
When Duterte was Davao City Mayor, he used to broker talks among the City Councilors embroiled in a budget discussion, but he never asked them favors.
Duterte said the impasse has affected the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which measures the nation’s economic growth, would be affected and economic slowdown might occur should the government continue to operate on a reenacted budget.
“Magkaroon tayo ng slide sa GDP niyan if we are going to reenact the budget and everybody will suffer including law enforcement. It will decrease our GDP,” he said.-ezc/NewsLine.ph
