President Rodrigo Duterte is set to sign the General Appropriations Act of 2019 on Holy Monday, April 15.
Congress leaders House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Senate President Tito Sotto III are expected to attend and witness the ceremonial signing of the “long over due” national budget.
There is no information yet whether Duterte will line veto any of the provisions being questioned by senators.
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.
