Senate OKs 2010 nat'l budget on 3rd reading

(Updated 8:40 p.m.) Voting 12-1, the Senate on Monday morning approved on third and final reading the proposed P1.5 trillion national budget for next year. A Malacañang spokesman promptly welcomed the development. Only Senator Benigno Simeon Aquino III voted against House Bill 6767. "During the course of budget deliberations, too many horror stories and the attitudes of seemingly un-desire to effect reforms caused me to vote no," Aquino, a presidential aspirant in next year's elections, told reporters. He cited the alleged dismal performance of the Education and Justice department despite the budgets provided to them. He noted that the Department of Justice has a conviction rate of 18.1 percent, disposal rate of 33 percent, while students were given books that has 500 documented errors. "The students are asked to learn in an impossible situation with materials that doesn’t help them to do so," Aquino said. He added that the proposed budget also contains a funding for a government-owned and controlled corporation that has been slated for dissolution since 2003. He did not identify the GOCCs he was referring to. No to questionable policy "I can go on and on. The bottom line if I say yes to this budget I’m saying yes to policy and attitudes that I think are highly objectionable so I'm compelled to say no," he said. He added: "I want to set categorical message [that] this is a budget that should not be supported, therefore I can't only vote no." For his part, Senator Francis Escudero said that while the bill is imperfect, it is better than a reenacted budget for 2010, an election year. "This might be made a subject of much abuse by those who are in control of the administration at present," Escudero said in explaining his vote. A Malacañang spokesman promptly welcomed the development. "I guess we’re happy that this issue has been resolved before the end of the year. It is always better to have a newly-enacted budget than a reenacted one," deputy presidential spokesman for economic affairs Gary Olivar said. Senate panel Senator Edgardo Angara, finance committee chairman, will head the Senate panel that will meet with congressmen to reconcile the Senate and House versions of the budget bill. Also making up the Senate contingent are Senators Joker Arroyo, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Gregorio Honasan II, Pilar Juliana Cayetano, Francis Pangilinan, Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, Senate Pro Tempore Jose 'Jinggoy' Estrada and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. Once the bicameral committee agrees on the provision, the budget bill will return to the Senate and House for ratification and then for the signature of the President. The Senate passed the budget bill, which has been certified by Malacañang as urgent, on second and third reading in one session. — LBG/NPA/RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV