President Duterte may veto any unlawful allocation in the proposed 2021 national budget once submitted to his office, according to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
(ROBINSON NIÑAL / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Roque mentioned the President’s option to exercise his veto power after insisting the House of Representatives cannot make changes to the budget bill it already passed on third and final reading other than fixing typographical errors.
"Well, noong isang taon po napakadaming mga na-veto ng Presidente (Well last year, the President made many items)," Roque said during Palace press briefing, when asked how the Palace would address the situation if lawmakers amend the budget bill beyond typographical errors.
"At karamihan po doon sa na-veto ni Presidente ay iyong mga line items na hindi po kasama doon sa original na bill ng Kamara na approved on third and final reading (And most of those vetoed by the President are line items that were not part of the original bill the House approved on third and final reading)," he said.
Roque maintained that any amendment or errata to the budget must be limited to correcting typographical errors.
"Pero kung ito po ay additional items, then I would share the view of the senators, kasi kapag third and final reading eh wala na po dapat pagbabago iyan (But if these are additional items, then I would share the view of the senators because once it is passed on third and final reading, there should no longer be changes)," he said.
Roque however pointed out that the release of the approved House version of the budget might be the only way to determine which amendments will be introduced by lawmakers.
"But then another issue of fact is, ano ba talaga inaprubahan noong third and final reading kasi unless mailabas kung ano iyon, hindi natin malalaman kung mayroon talagang bagong mga dinagdag (But then another issue of fact is what was approved on third and final reading because unless it is released, we will not know if there are really changes)," he said.
The House of Representatives passed the proposed P4.5 trillion national budget on third and final reading on the last day of the special session last Friday. A small committee of lawmakers has been reportedly created to introduce last-minute institutional amendments to the approved budget bill. Around P20 billion worth of amendments were reportedly introduced by the group.
Senator Panfilo Lacson however reminded the House leadership that amendments to its approved budget were unconstitutional.
In April last year, the President signed into law P3.662 trillion national budget for 2019 after months of delay caused by the Congress' stalemate on the controversial budget insertions.
Duterte however issued a "direct veto" to the P95.374-billion appropriations inserted in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and 12 other “rider” provisions in the new national budget. Duterte explained that he would "not tolerate any attempt to circumvent the Constitution or any action that will prejudice the people.”