MANILA – Unlike in the previous years, President Rodrigo Duterte has not yet submitted the 2020 proposed national budget during his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.
Cabinet secretary Karlo Nograles said the submission of next year’s national budget is being eyed for the next two weeks.
“Not today. We plan to submit NEP (National Expenditure Program) maybe in a week or two,” Nograles said.
Under the Constitution, the executive branch has 30 days after the President’s SONA to submit the budget proposal to the Congress.
Last year, Duterte transmitted the 2019 budget to the Congress on the day he delivered his third SONA but its ratification was still delayed until earlier this year.
Despite already being ratified last February, the budget stayed in the House and was not immediately transmitted to the Senate and Malacañang as congressmen said they had to itemize the lump sums.
After an impasse between the Senate at the House, the budget bill was finally sent to Malacañang for signature last March after Senate President Vicente Sotto III signed the measure but with reservations./PN
