Duterte to sign P4.1 trillion 2020 budget on January 6

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte would sign the P4.1 trillion national budget for 2020 on January 6, Malacañang confirmed Friday.

“Yes,” Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) Secretary Adelino Sitoy said in a text message, adding that the signing would be in Malacañang.

Sitoy, however, did not confirm if the President had vetoed any provision in the national budget.

In a separate text message, acting Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado also confirmed the signing of the budget on Monday.

“January 6 is what I know,” Avisado said.

But he added:  “I do not know if the President is going to veto any item in the enrolled GAB (General Appropriations Bill).”

Avisado said the Department of Budget and Management and the Office of the President (OP) were already done with the budget review.

“But since we are under OP, we defer to the President. He has the final say regardless of our recommendation and we cannot second guess him so it’s better to just wait,” he said.

Congress transmitted a copy of the national budget to Malacañang in December.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in December that Duterte would again veto unconstitutional provision in the 2020 budget after Sen. Panfilo Lacson claimed that House insertions could reach P83-billion worth of projects, or even more.

In 2019, the passage of the 2019 budget was delayed due to alleged insertions and questionable allocations by lawmakers.

Duterte only signed the budget in April 2019 or almost four months after the start of the fiscal year.

He vetoed provisions worth P95 billion in the 2019 budget inserted by the House of Representatives.