Palace: Duterte won’t allow anomalies in 2021 budget

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte won’t allow irregularities in next year’s budget as Malacañang expressed hope that the spending bill would be signed into law on time.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque yesterday said Duterte has a track record of rejecting questionable items in the budget.

“Before a review, it should be submitted (to the President). Second, the President has a proven track record that he won’t allow anomalies because he once vetoed questionable items in the budget,” Roque said at a press briefing.

He was referring to Duterte’s vetoing of several items and provisions in the 2019 budget, including more than P95 billion worth of public works projects that he said were unconstitutional.

“I think Sen. (Panfilo) Lacson can be confident that these items won’t be allowed by the President,” Roque said. Roque reiterated that the government cannot afford to have a reenacted budget.

“My fear is we may not have a Christmas because we have not yet received the budget. It will still be reviewed. We in the Palace might end up reviewing the budget while everyone is celebrating,” he said.

“It has to be signed with or without veto so there will be enough time for publication because we cannot afford a reenacted budget. So, I would say it has to be soon, but I repeat, it has to be received first,” Roque said.

Meanwhile, Lacson expressed hope that Duterte would do a line-item veto on the P4.5-trillion proposed 2021 national budget, which does not jibe with the budget philosophy being pushed by the executive department.

Lacson, who did not sign the bicameral conference committee report on the 2021 national budget, said he would not write any letter to the President to point out all his concerns on the proposed national budget for next year.

“On second thought, I might be too presumptuous that I’m doing so, my action might be misconstrued as not trusting the ability of his Cabinet officials to diligently examine and scrutinize the budget as passed by Congress,” he said.

“In fact, I trust the President’s economic advisers as well as his own judgment, based on his past actions in exercising his veto power,” he said.

House OKs 2 priority bills

In another development, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading yesterday two priority measures of the Duterte administration – providing a P76-billion trust fund for coconut farmers and extending the 2020 national budget until December 2021 to cushion the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a hybrid session, administration lawmakers voted 221-6 on House Bill 8136 or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act and HB 6656 extending the validity of the 2020 budget until December 2021 that will amend the General Appropriations Act of 2020 or Republic Act 11465. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Delon Porcalla