THE ADMINISTRATION is optimistic that the House of Representatives and the Senate will find a middle ground on the 2018 proposed P3.7-trillion budget and pass it before the end of this year. On Friday, House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez said there is a possibility of a reenacted budget due to some disagreements between the two legislative chambers, including the Senate’s P50-billion cut on the Department of Public Works and Highways allocation and realignment of the Philippine National Police’s P900-million drug campaign budget to housing for cops and soldiers. “I can’t comment on a purely speculative matter. I cannot believe that the House and the Senate cannot agree on next year’s budget,” Mr. Roque said. “I have all the confidence, the Palace has all the confidence that we will have the budget pursuant to the request made by the Palace because this budget is crucial to the Build, Build, Build program of the government intended to alleviate poverty in this country,” he added. — Rosemarie A. Zamora

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