Escudero, Romualdez 'optimistic' about passing budget bill on time

Congress leaders expressed optimism that House Bill No. 10800 or the 2025 General Appropriation Act (GAA) would be passed on schedule.

Senate President Francis Joseph ''Chiz'' Escudero and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez made the assurance during a press briefing after the 6th LEDAC meeting on Wednesday.

''Mamayang gabi po mapapasa natin 'yan on third and final reading and ready for transmission in short order to the Senate,'' Romualdez told Palace reporters.

(We will pass that on third and final reading tonight and it will be ready for transmission to the Senate.)

''Ito ang pinakaimportanteng batas na hinaharap po natin sa Kongreso at mataas ang kumpiyansa ko na matatapos natin itong gabi dahil sa pagkacertify ng Malacañang,'' he added.

(This is the most important law that we are facing in Congress and I am confident that it will be finished tonight after it was cerified as urgent by Malacañang.)

Escudero, for his part, said that the upper chamber would wait for the transmittal of the budget bill from the House of Representatives, noting that deliberations in the Senate's finance panel are ongoing.

''Inaantabayan namin ang pagbibigay sa amin ng approved version o tinatawag GAB o General Appropriations Bill galing sa KAMARA upang magsimula na ang talakayan kaugnay ng 2025 budget sa plenaryo ng Senado," Escudero said.

(We are waiting for the approved version of the General Appropriations Bill so we can start to tackle it at the Senate.)

''Sa ngayon, on schedule ang mga pagdinig sa komite ng Senado at inaasahan namin na ito ay maaaprubahan nang may sapat na panahon para ito ay mabasa at mareview ng Pangulo kaugnay ng mga line item veto na maaari niyang gawin sa panukalang budget upang maging ganap na batas na ito bago matapos ang taon,'' he added.

(Right now, the Senate committee hearings are on schedule and we expect it to be approved with enough time for it to be read and reviewed by the President in relation to the line item vetoes he can make on the budget proposal and pass it into law before the year ends.)

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. has certified as urgent the passage of House Bill No. 10800 or the 2025 GAA, which provides for the proposed P6.352 trillion national budget for next year.

The proposed 2024 national budget is 9.5% higher compared to this year's P5.268 trillion. --VAL, GMA Ingtegrated News