The Senate is considering holding simultaneous plenary sessions and budget hearings to keep deliberations on the proposed PHP7.2-trillion 2027 national budget on track despite the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Senate Committee on Finance chairperson JV Ejercito on Tuesday said the chamber’s current schedule leaves only Thursdays and Fridays for budget hearings, prompting discussions on allowing the proceedings to continue even during plenary sessions.
“Later on, it will be proposed and moved in the plenary, that budget hearings may continue even during plenary,” Ejercito said in a press conference.
He said Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian had raised concern that the budget process might not be completed on time if hearings are limited to only two days each week.
“Special case kasi ngayon lang nangyari na may budget hearings and at the same time impeachment (This is a special case because this is the first time that we have budget hearings and impeachment at the same time),” Ejercito said.
The Senate formally started its budget process last week with a briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee, including officials from the Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management and Department of Economy, Planning, and Development.
Ejercito said the Office of the Ombudsman, Commission on Audit and Department of Health are among the agencies scheduled to face the finance panel this week.
Despite the compressed timetable, Ejercito said the committee intends to prepare portions of its report while hearings are ongoing, with plenary debates on the proposed budget targeted to begin in November.
“So, we’ll have a short break, pero sa amin, walang break. Tuloy-tuloy ‘yan (So, we’ll have a short break, but for us, there will be no break. The work will continue),” he said.
The finance committee is also reducing its vice chairpersons from the usual 14 or 15 to eight, while Senate rooms will be devoted to budget deliberations throughout September and October.
Other committees holding hearings during the period may have to use facilities at the Philippine International Convention Center due to space constraints brought about by the impeachment proceedings.
Ejercito said the challenging budget season comes as the government grapples with limited fiscal space, requiring lawmakers to ensure that “every peso count.”
He said health, education, food, livelihood and infrastructure would remain among the priorities as the Senate scrutinizes the proposed spending plan. (PNA)