Malacanang expressed belief on Thursday that voters would not take lightly the non-passage of the proposed P3.757-trillion budget come the May elections.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo reiterated that lawmakers have to resolve among themselves the impasse on the budget.

"I think the citizens of this country, especially the voters because election is just forthcoming, I think they will not take lightly if there will be no new budget because it will affect many projects of the government," he said.

Despite President Rodrigo Duterte's move to bring both the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives together in Malacanang, the budget impasse was not settled.

Duterte's economic team has warned that continuous non-passage of the budget would affect growth this year.

Panelo also denied speculation of an opposition party-list congressman that Duterte wanted a re-enacted budget so he could have more leeway to use government money for candidacies of the administration bets.

Panelo branded such observation as "nonsense."

"We have already said there will be more problems if the budget is reenacted," he said.

The Senate and the House leadership have been accusing each other of changing the bicameral committee report on this year's budget.

Supposedly, the bicameral report should become the enrolled bill to be submitted to the Office of the President for approval.

But because of the alleged changes, particularly by the House, the Senate leadership vowed not to sign the former's prepared bill. Celerina Monte/DMS