House panel approves P2B budget for con-con

A House panel on Tuesday approved a P2.084-billion budget for a constitutional convention that will amend the 1987 Constitution. Voting 5-2, the committee on constitutional amendments approved the budget allocation proposed by Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., the vice chairman of the committee who led the technical working group on con-con proposals. The proposed budget allocation covers one year within which the con-con should finish amending the Charter. According to the committee's proposal, there will be 219 delegates representing the existing congressional districts. Each delegate will receive a per diem of P2,000 for every day of actual attendance in the convention or any of its committees, with 20 working days a month. The con-con delegates will be elected in October 2010. If a delegate is present at all con-con meetings, he or she will receive a monthly salary of P40,000. Aside from the basic pay, a delegate is also entitled to a monthly P110,000 allowance to cover his or her traveling expenses, networking, and supplies. The 20.084-billion allocation can be broken down as follows: * P884.081 billion in personal services for delegates and the five members of his or her staff; * P174.559 million in personal services for secretariat officials and employees; * P617.500 million for maintentance and other operating expenses (includes office rental, public hearing expenses, office supplies, printing, utilities, and others); * P108.600 million for capital outlay (computers, printers, scanners, furnitures and fixures, and others); and * P300 million for contingency funds. La Union Rep. Victor Ortega, the chairman of the committee, said his panel would send its report to the appropriations committee before the proposal can be tackled in plenary. Ortega said there is no need for a supplemental budget for the con-con allocation, noting that Congress, which is now deliberating on the proposed 2010 national budget, could just re-align the budget of various agencies. But Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño - who along with Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano voted against the approval of the con-con budget – described the P2-billion allocation "scandalous." "I find the P2-billion budget for the con-con as proposed by the committee on constitutional amendments scandalous considering that Cha-cha is unnecessary, is being opposed by majority of people in survey after survey, and will surely add to the already burgeoning budget deficit," Casiño said in a text message. The committee had earlier approved a resolution calling for the creation of a constitutional convention. Under the proposed implementing law that the panel approved Tuesday, the election of con-con delegates will be held on October 25, 2010, simultaneous with the barangay elections. Ortega said the approval of the con-con resolution does not necessarily mean that the House is abandoning the constituent assembly option. But Ortega said he "is assuming that this (con-con) will be more acceptable in the Senate" since there are three pending con-con resolutions in the said chamber. He added that he expects the House to approve the con-con resolution and accompanying proposed implementing law before the end of the year, most likely by October. - GMANews.TV