Up to Duterte to veto parts of 2020 budget — Ungab

MANILA, Philippines — House appropriations committee chair Isidro Ungab said Monday the possible veto of portions of the P4.1 trillion 2020 national budget is now up to President Rodrigo Duterte.

“The ball now is in their hands,” the Davao 3rd District representative said in an interview.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson earlier questioned the last-minute insertions made by the House in the budget bill which he said lacked clear details and could still be considered pork barrel. Ungab said the amendments they introduced were recommended by President Rodrigo Duterte’s Cabinet and other government agencies.

Ungab further explained that the projects in the 2020 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) which Congress ratified were “line item” and “all enumerated.”

The House leader was meanwhile mum about claims that the House restored those projects vetoed by Duterte under the 2019 budget.

“No comment. But when the final version of the budget is printed out makikita nyo naman dun, wala naman pwedeng itago (you will see there, we can’t hide anything there),” Ungab said.

The encoding of the 2020 GAB will be finished by Monday or Tuesday, according to Ungab. This will be printed in five to seven days before it could be sent to Duterte’s office.

The President has until December 31 to sign the 2020 expenditure plan to prevent a reenacted budget before the new fiscal year starts.