The 2019 national budget enrolled bill, according to Secretary to the Cabinet Karlo Nograles, is still vetted by Executive Department and might be signed by President Rodrigo Duterte before the Holy Week.
“Well sa pagkakaalam ko vini-vet lang ngayon, pinag-aaralan na and we are hopeful that the president will sign the budget maybe this week or next week, hopefully before the Holy Week maaring pirmahan ng pangulo,” Nograles said.
Nograles added that president’s veto message is also being finalized but did not mention what particular provision of the budget bill will be line vetoed by Duterte.
The Palace official explained that “ideally, by practice, historically, there is always a veto message of the president when it comes to budget.”
Earlier, Senate President Vicente Sotto III signed and transmitted the budget bill to the Office of the President “with strong reservations” to some alleged “insertions” by House of Representatives in the bicameral conference committee report.
Sotto urged the president to veto the realignments made by some representatives in the national budget that senators believe to be unconstitutional.
The squabble between the Upper and the Lower House has delayed the signing of the budget bill by President Duterte and compelled the government to operate on a re-enacted budget.
