Malacañang said that President Duterte will be signing the 2021 P4.5-trillion national budget on Monday, December 28, but not in its entirety as the Chief Executive will veto some items.
President Duterte will sign the budget before some legislators in Malacañang on Monday. He was supposed to sign in Davao City but he will be going back to Manila to meet members of the pandemic task force and other health experts on December 26.
In a phone interview, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said that Duterte has vetoed some items but refused to disclose what were they about.
"Sigurado po na magkakaroon po ng veto message pero (There will surely be a veto message but) I'm not at liberty to discuss po kung ano itong mga items (what are these items)," he said.
According to Roque, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has long prepared its recommendations to the President regarding the 2021 budget.
"Matagal na pong nakahanda ang DBM sa kanyang rekomendasyon at inaasahan din na aaprubahan din po ng Presidente ang mga naging rekomendasyon ng DBM (The DBM is prepared with its recommendation and we can expect the President to approve them)," he said.
Included in the 2021 budget is the allocation for COVID-19 vaccine purchases worth P72.5-billion.
Included in the budget is P1.1 trillion for infrastructure projects seen to create jobs and boost economic activity after the recession caused by the pandemic.