MANILA -- Senate President Vicente Sotto III has signed the enrolled copy of the proposed 2019 national budget, but expressed "strong reservations" due to the P75 billion worth of post-ratification realignments made by the House of Representatives.
In a press conference, Sotto said the signed budget bill has already been transmitted to the Palace for President Rodrigo Duterte's signature.
"We are informing you that I already signed the budget, the enrolled copy, it is now going to be an enrolled bill presented to the President. I placed my reservations on the signature," Sotto said Tuesday, March 26.
He said he attached an annotation, saying he finds as "unconstitutional" the P75 billion worth of programs and projects realigned by the House to some favored districts after the budget bill was ratified.
"I affixed my signature with strong reservations. My attestation is limited only to those approved by the bicameral conference committee and ratified by both houses of Congress," Sotto said in his letter to Duterte.
"In particular, it is my view that it is unconstitutional that P75 billion worth of programs/projects under the local infrastructure program of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was funded through internal realignments after the bicameral conference committee report was ratified," Sotto added.
He said the realigned cuts were from the DPWH's appropriations for its Organizational Outcome 1 (asset preservation program, network development program and bridge program) and Organizational Outcome 2 (flood management program and convergence and support program).
Sotto suggested to Duterte to consider disapproving these unconstitutional realignments pursuant to his constitutional power to veto particular items in the General Appropriations Act.
In a chance interview Tuesday, March 26, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte will thoroughly review the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019.
He said the President would only sign the proposed 2019 budget spending if it is in accordance with the 1987 Constitution.
"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. "He has the right to veto [realignments]."
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's signing of the budget measure has the support of both the minority and majority blocs. (PNA/With Ruth Abbey Gita/SunStar Philippines)