© Benjie Castro Juan Miguel Zubiri

Senate Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri expects the P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020 to hurdle the bicameral conference committee deliberations before the end of November.

Zubiri said Senate Committee on Finance chairman Senator Juan Edgardo Angara would report to the plenary the proposed 2020 national budget on November 11 and the chamber would most likely discuss it for two weeks.

“We are looking at two weeks deliberation so hopefully approved on second and third reading on November 22. We are looking at possibly having the bicameral conference committee meeting by November 25 to 30,” Zubiri said.

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“Ang concensus ng ating mga kasamahan ay ipapasa natin as soon as possible time para di mangyari ‘yung nangyari nung isang taon,” he added, referring to the delay in the passage of the 2019 budget.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, on the other hand, sees the approval of the Senate version by the first week of December and the bicameral meeting on the second week.

“The last three days of the session, December 16 to18, we can ratify. So medyo tight ang schedule. So medyo nakaka-worry rin na baka hindi umabot before we go on adjournment sa December 18," Lacson said

"Either magkakaroon ng special session or worse baka mag-reenact,” he added.

Lacson said all would depend on the pace of deliberation on the floor. —NB, GMA News