PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte would use his veto power to remove the supposed "insertions" in the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget, only if he finds its appropriate, Malacañang said on Thursday, February 7.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this statement in reaction to the call of Senator Panfilo Lacson for President Duterte to veto the "pork barrel insertions".
Lacson has claimed that the bicameral conference committee report on the 2019 budget still contains the insertions.
"Basically yes, the P160 million per House member plus the billion-peso insertions made by a number of their colleagues, and the P23-billion Department of Public Works and Highways insertions by a number of senators plus other insertions in different agencies have all been retained," he said in a statement.
"Sadly, no matter how hard I argued last night, I only have one vote although I have good reason to believe that some like-minded colleagues are supportive of deleting all pork insertions, particularly the excessive and unconscionable realignments made not only by our House counterpart, but by a number of our colleagues as well," he added.
Speaking to Palace reporters, Panelo said the President knows what he should do.
"We should not preempt the President. The President knows what he is going to do," the Palace official said.
"The President is a lawyer. He knows his law. If he thinks that that is in violation of the doctrine enunciated by the Supreme Court, then he will do what is right," he added.
The national government is currently operating on a reenacted budget, after allegations of pork insertions derailed the deliberations on the proposed General Appropriations Act for 2019.
Lawmakers earlier said the final version of the bill would be submitted to President Duterte for signature next week.
Under the 1987 Constitution, the President "shall have the power to veto any particular item or items in an appropriation, revenue or tariff bill, but the veto shall not affect the item or items to which he does not object".
In 2013, the Supreme Court declared the now-defunct Priority Development Assistance Fund or "pork barrel" as unconstitutional.
Panelo said that while the Palace acknowledged the Congress' power to amend the proposed budget endorsed by the executive, Duterte still has the authority to wield his veto power on provisions of a measure he deemed unacceptable.
"What we recognize is the power of Congress to amend, to review and to amend and to do whatever it feels is correct, necessary and right. We leave it to them," he said.
"Now if the President feels that it’s wrong, then he can use his veto power to correct it," he added. (SunStar Philippines)