VOL XXX|ll' NO.45 ' 3 SECTIONS 16 PAcEs. P18 ' WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 .
cbm
Budget bill
up for Duterte
scrutiny, finally
Bv Nat Mariano
ahd Vito Barcelo
PRESIDENT. Roclrigo Duterte will
scrutinize the proposed 2019 national
budget before signing it amid alleged
last-minute amendments, the Palace said
on Tuesday, assuring the public that the
spending bill will be in accordance with
the Constitution.
As he commended the members of
Congress lor submitting an enrolled bill
. to the Executive department, Presiden-
tial Spokesman Silvador Panelo said
President Duterte will have to evaluate
whether or not the provisions ofthe en-
rolled 6i1l submitted by the Congress are
in keeping with the Constitution.
"The Senate says it's illegal, right? Un-
constitutional. And the President says he
'' lignmeht was made after the Bicam-
will not sign anl,rhing unconstitulional as
Nert pqge
i ratifi€d by r€aligning cuts from several
wwwmanilastandard.net . mstdaydesk@gmail.
Budeet...
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far as he is concerned. Hq will need to
evaluate whether or not the opinion of
the Senate is indeed aorrect. It depends,
the President is-a lawyer," Panelo told
Palace reporters.
"Thal's his judgment call, he will
have to review th€ enrolled bill and if
it's consistcnt \rith the Constitution, he
will sign it."
Earlier, Senate President Vicente Sot-
to III submitted his signed and enrolled
copy of the Foposed P3.757-trillion
2019 national - budgel. So.!to, however,
attached a letder explaining his "strong
on the itemized P75 billion
-reseryqtions"
worth ofpublic works projects.
"It is my view that it is unconstitution-
al dat P75 billion worth of programs/
prqlctg under the Local Infrastructure
Ptogram of the Department of Pub-
lic Works qnd Highways was funded
,l*f lk:i:",i::I" lii'o*:T::f;''"u'
ljAccording to the Se@te leader, the
,d$pposed unconstitutional budget rea-
leird Conference Commit-tee Report was
lrojrams including assot preservation,
detwork development, bridge, flood-
management, and convergence and sup-
port progmrds.
, "The'?resident may wish to consider
disapp?oving these unconstitutional rea-
lignments, pursuant to his constitutional
power to veto particular items in the
Cenorgl Appropriations Bill," he added.
attaching a llst of P9it'billiou wortt of
pubti,c works piogr-am that includes the
allege',C P75-tillioiffealignments.
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