Duterte won’t interfere with ‘intramurals’ in Congress over 2019 budget

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte would not interfere with the “intramurals” in Congress over alleged realignments in the 2019 national budget even after it was ratified, Malacañang said Wednesday.

Senator Panfilo Lacson has alleged that House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has directed the realignments of P25 million from the Department of Health (DOH) budget for her “favored” congressmen.

READ: Arroyo denies ‘manipulations,’ P25M realignment in ratified 2019 budget — Palace

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, quoting Arroyo after a phone conversation, said the House Speaker denied the allegations.

Arroyo, according to Panelo, assured him that the approved bicameral report was the one being printed for submission to the executive branch.

The government has been operating on a reenacted budget after Congress failed to pass the P3.757 trillion national budget for 2019 over questionable allocations and alleged “pork.”

Despite this, Panelo said Duterte would let Congress resolve the issue.

“(Duterte) will not interfere with their intramurals. They will have to settle whatever conflict they have among themselves,” he siad in a text message to reporters. /kga