MANILA -- Senate President Tito Sotto said he would propose that the chamber withdraw its version of the 2019 budget, citing "numerous allegations" on the proposed measure.

The chairman of the House appropriations committee, Camarines Sur Rep Rolando Andaya, appealed to the Senate not to abandon bicameral hearings on the budget. The House is against a reenacted budget, he said.

Sotto said he would suggest to Sen. Loren Legarda, the chairperson of the Senate finance committee, to "go for a reenacted budget." Funding for the May elections is in the 2018 budget, he said.

Andaya said: "It is a matter internal to the Senate. But on the part of the House, our position remains unchanged: We want a new budget. We are against a reenacted one."

"I hope that will erase all doubts and allegations of pork and other so-called insertions in the budget," Sotto said in a statement.

Budget deliberations in the House of Representatives stalled after Andaya accused Budget Sec. Benjamin Diokno of inserting P75 billion.

Diokno has denied wrongdoing and the Senate on Jan. 15 removed the P75 billion that was intended as additional funding for the public works department.

A reenacted budget could shave 1 to 2.3 points off gross domestic product growth in 2019, but the "fighting target" is still 7 percent, said Finance Usec. Tony Lambino.

Some infrastructure projects could also be delayed, he said.