MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to carefully scrutinize the proposed 2020 national budget once it is sent to him for signature by the Senate and House of Representatives.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Malacañang hopes that the bicameral conference committee would be able to reconcile the conflicting provisions “without prolonged partisan discussion and undue delay.”
The Senate, in a 22-0 voting on Wednesday, has approved the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget, paving the way for a bicameral conference composed of senators and congressmen who will reconcile the disagreeing provisions in the budget bill.
“The Office of the President welcomes this development given that this budget per the Department of Budget and Management, aims to fund programs and projects that will help accelerate investments in public infrastructure, improve anti-poverty measures, and intensify employment generation,” Panelo said.
“The public is assured that the President will carefully scrutinize whatever appropriations bill that will be transmitted to his office by Congress to ensure that the same would be in accordance with the imperatives of the Constitution and responsive to the needs of the Filipino people before it becomes a law,” he added.
Early this year, the government was forced to operate on a reenacted budget after Congress failed to pass this year’s budget before 2018 ended following lawmakers’ squabble over alleged insertions.
The P3.662-trillion national budget was only signed by President Duterte in April even as he vetoed P95.3 billion worth of items under the Department of Public Works and Highways that were outside the government’s programmed priorities./PN
