Angara

Senate, House OK P5.768T budget for ’24

December 11, 2023 PS Jun M. Sarmiento 260 views

THE Senate and House panels, led by Senate Committee on Finance Chairperson Sen. Juan Edgardo Sonny Angara and House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Rep. Elizaldy Co, approved the bicameral conference committee report on the 2024 General Appropriations Bill Monday at the Shangri-la Hotel in Makati City.

The chairpersons were joined by conferees from the Senate panel: Sens. Cynthia Villar, Risa Hontiveros, Nancy Binay, Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, Sherwin Gatchalian, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa; and House panel: Reps. Neptali Gonzales II, Ralph Recto, Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., David “Jay-Jay” Suarez, Stella Quimbo, Marcelino Libanan, Raul Angelo Jil Bongalon and Manuel Jose Mannix Dalipe.

Angara said the P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024 aims “to sustain the country’s growth and give the Filipinos hope amidst the current uncertainty situation such as the recent Marawi bombing.”

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed confidence the final version will be submitted before the Christmas break as the lawmakers are eyeing to transmit to Malacañang this week the ratified version of the 2024 national budget for the signing of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before the end of the year.

Senators have agreed to adopt the decision of the House of Representatives to realign the confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) of civilian offices to security agencies which are at the forefront in protecting the country’s sovereignty, especially amid the territorial dispute involving China over the West Philippine Sea.

Both Angara and Sen. JV Ejercito maintained that the CIF will only be used by the National Defense, Philippine National Police and the Armed Force of the Philippines as well as the Department of Justice and the Phil Coast Guard in protecting our sovereignty amidst the issue in the West Phil. Sea.

Angara also earlier said that the CIFs of the Office of the President was “unchanged” in the bicam even as Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III recommended the removal of its intelligence funds.

The government has proposed a P10.707 billion budget for CIFs in 2024, of which P4.5 billion will go to the Office of the President (P2.250 million for CFs and P2.310 for intelligence funds).