PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will likely sign the proposed P3.757-trillion 2019 budget program after the observance of Holy Week, Malacañang said on Thursday, April 11.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the remark a day after he confirmed that the ceremonial signing of the proposed General Appropriations Act 2019 had already been calendared on the President's schedule on April 15.
Speaking to Palace reporters, Panelo said the initial schedule for the signing of the proposed budget for this year was removed from the President's calendar.
Panelo thus said that there was a "high probability" that Duterte would sign the budget bill after Holy Week, since the President is still studying the proposed 2019 national spending plan.
He, however, did not give specific date as to when Duterte would officially sign the general appropriations bill for 2019.
"Lahat naman ng schedule niya (His schedule is) subject to change without prior notice," the Palace official said.
"Kinalendar na pero mukhang pinag-aaralan pa. Eh baka after Holy Week kasi naka-calendar tapos tinanggal s calendar (It has already been calendar but it seems like he's still studying the proposed budget. Perhaps, the signing of the budget would be set after Holy week since the initial schedule was removed from the calendar)," he added.
The National Government has been operating on a reenacted budget since January this year, after lawmakers from the Senate and the House of Representatives took time to settle differences in the proposed government spending program.
Congress transmitted to Duterte the proposed multi-trillion national budget on March 26 after months of impasse due to supposed alleged insertions and realignments.
The signing of the proposed 2019 General Appropriations Act would end the budget deadlock feared to cause adversarial impact on the country's economic growth. (SunStar Philippines)