Duterte set to sign national budget

The 2019 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) is officially enrolled for President Duterte’s signature.

This, after Senate President Vi­cente Sotto III signed yesterday ­the printed copy of the R3.757-trillion proposed budget for this year despite allegations about the supposed post-ratification realign­ments done by the House of Rep­resentatives.

“I already signed the budget, the enrolled copy is now going to be na enrolled bill presented to Presi­dent. But I placed my reservations on the signature,” the Senate chief announced in a press briefing.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Senator Panfilo Lacson were with him as he made the an­nouncement.

Sotto said he has sent the en­rolled budget bill to President Du­terte the same afternoon, along with a letter expressing his reser­vations in signing the GAB.

In his annotation, Sotto told Du­terte that he affixed his signature on the budget bill “with strong res­ervations” as he said his approval only covers “those items approved by the Bicameral Conference Com­mittee and ratified by both Houses of Congress.”

He pointed out the supposed in­ternal realignments made by the Lower Chamber to the govern­ment spending bill after its ratifi­cation, specifically, the reallocation of the R75-billion of fund from the budget of the DPWH.

“It is my view that it is uncon­stitutional that R75 billion worth of programs/projects under the Local Infrastructure Program of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was fund­ed through internal realignment, after the Bicameral Conference Committee Report was ratified,” Sotto said in his letter.

The realigned funds, according to Sotto, were sourced from the DPWH’s asset, bridge, and network development programs, as well as from flood management, and con­vergence and support programs.

In transmitting the enrolled bill, the Senate leader also attached a 157-page list containing R95 bil­lion worth of programs or proj­ects, including the R75 billion cut from the DPWH, funded from the House’s realignments.

“The President may wish to con­sider disapproving these unconsti­tutional realignment, pursuant to his consitutional power to veto particular items in the General Ap­propiratios Bill,” Sotto urged Du­terte. (Vanne Terrazola)