271059/271347/E-02472/E-04036 Representative Edcel C. Lagman, substituted by Albay First District Representative Krisel B. Lagman, et al. Vs. The Congress of the Philippines, et al./Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Pantaleo “Bebot” Alvarez Vs. Lucas P. Bersamin, in his capacity as executive secretary, and Amenah F. Pangandaman, in her capacity as secretary of the Department of Budget and Management/Filipinos for Peace, Justice and Progress Movement, Inc. (FPJPM), represented by its president and chairperson, Joseph F. Cadsawan, and Gloria T. Puzon, chapter Officer Vs. The House of Representatives, et al./Edgar R. Erice and Leila De Lima Vs. The Senate of the Philippines, et al. — Official PDF

Decision 110 G.R. Nos. 271059, 271347, E-02472 and E-04036 SEC. 35. In the event that the Senate does not agree with the House of Representatives on the provision of any bill or joint resolution, the differences shall be settled by a conference committee of both Houses which shall meet within ten ( 10) days after their composition. The President shall designate the members of the Senate panel in the conference committee with the approval of the Senate. Each Conference Committee Report shall contain a detailed and sufficiently explicit statement of the changes in, or amendments to the subject measure, and shall be signed by a majority of the members of each House panel, voting separately. A comparative presentation of the conflicting House and Senate provisions and a reconciled version thereof with the explanatory statement of ,the conference committee shall be attached to the report. The consideration of such report shall not be in order unless the report has been filed with the Secretary of the Senate and copies thereof have been distributed to the members.465 In Abakada Gura Party List v. Ermita,466 the Court discussed the purpose and creation of a Bicameral Conference Committee: Under the provisions of both the Rules of the House of Representatives and Senate Rules, the Bicameral Conference Committee is mandated to settle the differences between the disagreeing provisions in the House bill and the Senate bill. The term "settle" is synonymous to "reconcile" and "harmonize." To reconcile or harmonize disagreeing provisions, the Bicameral Conference Committee may then (a) adopt the .1pecific provisions of either the House bill or Senate bill, (b) decide that neither provisions in the House bill or the provisions in the Senate bill would _ - be carried into the final form of the bill, and/or (c) try to arrive" at a comproniise between the disagreeing provisions. 467 The July 29, 2026 Certifications of the Secretary-General of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate likewise confirm that "the [Bicameral Conference Committee] is an intermediary body constituted to reconcile disagreeing provisions of the Senate and House versions of a legislative measure." Since both programmed and unprogrammed appropriations form part of the total budget, the similarity that will prevent the need for a Bicameral Conference Committee would be if the House-approved and Senate-approved versions of the 2024 General Appropriations Bill are exactly like. 41•5 Rules of the Senate (2024) available at https://legacy.senate.gov.ph/Rules%20of%20the%20Senate- Qctober%202024.pdf (last,accessed on July,29, 2026) , . , , . 466 G.R. Nos. 168056, 168207, 168461, 168463 & 168730, September 1, 2005 [Perl. Austria Martinez, En Banc]. ➔c,7 Id