FILE PHOTO: Two provisions in the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA), , which contains the P5.768-trillion national budget, have been vetoed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., according to the Presidential Communications Office. This photo taken December 20, 2023, shows Marcos signing the GAA for Fiscal Year 2024 in the Malacañan Palace, with Congress leaders looking on. (Red Santos/Office of Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri)
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vetoed two provisions in the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA), which contains the P5.768-trillion national budget.
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said Friday that the vetoed provisions involved the revolving funds of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the implementation of the national government’s Career Executive Service Development Program, it added.
According to the PCO, Marcos conveyed his veto decisions in a letter to Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and other House members which says:
“In accordance with my constitutional mandate to ensure that laws are faithfully executed, I am obliged to veto DOJ-Office of the Secretary (OSEC), Special Provision No. 1, ‘DOJ Revolving Fund,’ Volume I-A, page 1119, inasmuch as there is no law which authorizes the DOJ to establish a revolving fund for the purpose indicated therein.”
“It may be emphasized that the service fees sought to be charged and collected are to be imposed upon complaints and affidavits filed with the National Prosecution Service, and petitions for review filed before the DOJ, when, in fact, such pleadings are filed with the said agencies by virtue of their jurisdiction vested by law,” the letter also states.
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Marcos explained that the charges do not align with business-type activities as stipulated in the General Provision on Revolving Funds in the 2024 GAA.
He then cited the Supreme Court in saying that “inappropriate provisions” are unconstitutional provisions, “because clearly these kind[s] of laws have no place in an appropriations bill,” adding that these are matters of general legislation more appropriately dealt with in separate enactments.
On the “Implementation of National Government’s Career Executive Service Development Program (NGCESDP),” Marcos said he vetoed Section 38 under the General Provisions because it does not relate to any particular appropriation in the budget.
He noted that Presidential Decree (PD) No. 336 dated November 14, 1973, amending Part I, Article IV, Sections 2 and 5 [G], of the Integrated Reorganization Plan approved under Presidential Decree No. 1, dated September 24, 1972), which is considered a substantive law, created the Career Executive Service Board (CESB).
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“PD No. 336 further delineated the functions of the CESB as the governing body of the Career Executive Service (CES) and the Development Academy of the Philippines is tasked to prepare a CES program appropriate and necessary for the organization and operation of the CES, and in consultation with the CESB, initiate and continue to implement the aforesaid program,” Marcos pointed out in the letter, according to the PCO.
“Moreover, Section 8 (2), Chapter 2, Subtitle A, Title I, Book V of Executive Order (EO) No. 292, s. 1987 (Administrative Code of 1987), also considered a substantive law, expressly prescribed that entrance to the third level career service position shall be prescribed by the CESB.”
Marcos signed into law the GAA for Fiscal Year 2024, which is also now known as Republic Act No. 11975, on December 20.
Next year’s spending plan is 9.5 percent higher than this year’s P5.268 trillion national budget.