Duterte blames budget delay for failed traffic promise

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte blamed the delayed passage of the 2019 national budget for his failure to fulfill his promise to cut travel time from Quezon City to Makati City to five minutes.

The President said the delay of the spending bill slowed down the implementation of some infrastructure programs.

Duterte urged Congress to pass the proposed P4.1-trillion 2020 national budget on time by the end of 2019.—JULIE M. AURELIO