MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Wednesday slammed the lower chamber anew following House appropriations committee chair Rolando Andaya Jr.’s claims that the realignments in the national budget were authorized. Sotto said that “their talks are now water under the bridge” and the decision regarding the national budget is now in the hands of President Rodrigo Duterte. “At the end of the day the Senate exercised its power to scrutinize and challenge what is spurious in the budget,” Sotto said. Sotto earlier signed the proposed P3.7-trillion national budget for 2019 with “strong reservations.” He expressed hopes that Duterte will veto the alleged P75 billion insertions made by the Lower Chamber following the ratification of the budget on February 8. /eeADVERTISEMENTREAD: Sotto signs 2019 national budget with strong reservationsRead NextLATEST STORIESMOST READ

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer April 03, 2019 11:15 UTC