PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will thoroughly review the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019 that will be transmitted by Congress to his office anytime soon, Malacañang said on Tuesday, March 26.
In a chance interview, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo maintained that Duterte would only sign the proposed 2019 budget spending if it is in accordance with the 1987 Constitution.
Panelo gave the guarantee shortly after Senate President Vicente Sotto III signed the 2019 general appropriations bill with "strong reservations."
The Palace official reiterated that the President would wield his veto power to remove line items that are deemed unconstitutional.
"That's his (Duterte) judgment call. He would have to review the enrolled bill and if it is consistent with the Constitution, he will sign it," Panelo said, when asked if Duterte would sign the enrolled copy of the spending plan this year.
"He has the right to veto [realignments]," he added.
The National Government has been operating on a reenacted 2018 budget since January this year, following Congress's failure to pass the proposed 2019 General Appropriations Act last year.
The budget bill was ratified by the Senate and the House of Representatives on February 8, but its transmittal had been stalled after congressmen allegedly made some insertions and realignments.
The impasse in the 2019 budget finally ended following Sotto's move to sign the proposed budget.
Panelo lauded Congress for finally ending the deadlock in the 2019 budget plan.
"Well, they perform their respective jobs. They finally settle their differences that's why we're happy to know that they will finally submit their enrolled bill," he said.
Sotto, in a press briefing held at the Senate, urged Duterte to veto "unconstitutional" provisions of the proposed 2019 budget, including the supposed realignment of a P75 billion worth of programs under the Local Infrastructure Program of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
On March 11, Duterte said he was not bent on signing the proposed budget spending for this year, if the line items in the bill are deemed "illegal."
Panelo guaranteed that the President would not sign the proposed 2019 budget, if it is "unconstitutional."
"The President says he will not sign anything that is unconstitutional. As far as he is concerned, he will have to evaluate whether or not the opinion of the senate is indeed correct. Depende, abugado si presidente e (The President is a lawyer)," he said.
"Everything will be considered by the President. He always does the right thing... Depende nga sa kanya (It depends on him), if he feels na it is not in violation of the constitution, he will sign it immediately," Panelo added.
Asked how long the President would be evaluating the budget bill, Panelo said: "I’m sure soon because we need to have a new budget... Knowing the President, he will act on it immediately because we need a new budget." (SunStar Philippines)