By Liza Soriano
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri has assured that the Senate will pass the proposed 2024 national budget by first week or second week of December.
“Our commitment, to answer your question, we will pass it on time. We will finish it by the first week of December; I would believe it would be ready for the President’s signature, [the] latest [by] second week of December,” Zubiri said during the special joint session of both houses on Saturday.
During the joint session, the House of Representatives transmitted the final version of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) to the upper house.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Romualdez said that it will be the decision of the Senate whether to follow the lead of the lower house in removing the confidential funds of five agencies or not.
“The ball is in our hands, ‘ika nga sa basketball, nando’n na po sa amin,” Zubiri said.
“Unfortunately, hindi na po namin nakasama ‘yong aming chairman ng committee on appropriations today so we’ll act on his behalf, si Senator Angara, he just came back from an overseas mission, but kami po ni Senator Joel Villanueva our Majority Floor Leader, at iba pong mga senador — nandito po si Senator JV Ejercito, and some other senators ay handa po tumanggap po ng final version of the House of Representatives’ 2024 national budget,” the Senate President added.
(ai/mnm)
By Liza Soriano
Senator Sonny Angara has called on his colleague at the Upper House for the immediate passage of Senate Bill No. (SBN) 777 which seeks to implement early voting for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Under SBN 777 that he filed, the senator emphasized the importance of giving priority to the elderly and the disabled in voting precincts as they no longer keep up with regular voters who can stand longer in queues to vote.
Angara stressed this law must be implemented before the next election comes around in 2025.
“Tayo po ay natutuwa sa naging resulta ng pilot implementation na ito ng Comelec na nagpatupad ng mas maagang pagboto sa seniors at PWDs sa dalawang pilot cities. Malinaw na sa kabila ng kanilang kalagayang pisikal, naroon ang kanilang paghahangad na makaboto, kaya’t nararapat lamang na bigyan natin sila ng pribilehiyo,” he said.
In his proposed bill, the senator said it would be better if seniors and PWDs were given two days of voting within 15 days before the actual election day.
This is to make voting more comfortable for them and safe from any harm.
“Nakalulungkot ang mga balita na marami pa rin sa mga seniors natin ang pumila ng matagal sa mga presinto at kinailangan pa umakyat ng ilang palapag para lamang bumoto,” Angara said.
(ai/mnm)