By Junex Doronio

MANILA — If the House of Representatives approves Resolution of Both Houses No. 7 (RBH7) on economic charter change on Wednesday (20 March 2024), Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe on Monday (18 March 2024) pushed that the lower chamber forward the resolution to the Commission on Elections.

The last session day before Congress goes on a Holy Week break will be on Wednesday (20 March 2024).

“If we have 3/4 vote on RBH7 and everything has been complied with in accordance to the Constitution, then my suggestion is we forward it to the Commission on Elections,” Dalipe quipped in a media interview.

He noted that if the Senate and the House are to vote separately on economic charter change, the three-fourths vote in the House is equivalent to 232.

Dalipe hastened to add that if the two chambers are to vote jointly, the needed number of votes is 250.

“In the law, it is Comelec who will decide if we have complied and there is a sufficient number of votes as stated in the Constitution, that they can ultimately schedule for a plebiscite on RBH7,” Dalipe pointed out.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Liezelle Soriano

Majority Leader and Representative of the Second District of Zamboanga City, Manuel Jose Dalipe, moved to send the proposed 2024 national budget to the Senate on Saturday.

This move took place during a plenary session originally intended to welcome the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

“Mr. Speaker, I propose that we immediately transmit House Bill No. 8980 and the resolutions we have adopted to the Senate,” Dalipe announced.

House Bill No. 8980 contains the General Appropriations Bill, which was approved with amendments by a small committee. However, it saw a reallocation of P194 billion, including the P1.23 billion designated for confidential funds.

Five government agencies received zero funding for their confidential fund requests.

These are the Office of the Vice President, the Department of Education, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The regular session is scheduled to begin on Monday, November 6.

(ai/mnm)