President Rodrigo Duterte has vetoed four provisions of the General Appropriations Act (GAA) otherwise known as Republic Act No. 10964.
In his message to both houses of Congress, Duterte said he had directly vetoed four provisions.
“Under my Administration, attempts to circumvent the Constitution will never be countenanced. By constitutional fiat, specifically Section 25 (2), Article VI of the 1987 Constitution, provisions embraced in this Budget which do not relate to some particular appropriation and are introduced herein with the purpose of amending existing laws and rules have no place in the general appropriations bill. These ‘rider’ provisions must accordingly be subject to direct veto,” the President said.
First, Duterte vetoed the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) Special Provision No. 2, granting of monitoring expenses in Other Executive Offices of the agency.
“Under the Salary Standardization Law and its implementing rules, board members are already authorized to receive honoraria or per diems in the performance of their official functions. Other necessary expenses incurred in the conduct of monitoring and evaluation by the MTRCB may be allowed, subject to budgeting, accounting, and auditing laws, rules and regulations,” Duterte said in his veto message.
Second, the President vetoed General Provisions, Section 87, “Collection of Fees in Relation to the Retention or Reacquisition of Philippine Citizenship,” Volume I-B, page 637, which prohibits the imposition and collections of fees.
Third, he also directly vetoed Special Provision No. 14 of the Department of Education (DepEd)-Office of the Secretary (OSEC).
“Use of School Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses for Payment of Items That May Be Classified as Capital Outlay,” Volume I-A, page 189, which authorizes the DepEd to use appropriations for Maintenance and Other Operating Requirements (MOOE) for its Capital Outlay requirements,” he said.
Fourth, the President vetoed Special Provision No. 1 of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) or the “Use of Income,” Volume I-B, page 225, to augment the operational requirements of the ERC.
I am likewise duty-bound to veto the use of income provided in 0E0s-Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), Special Provision No. 1, “Use of Income,” Volume I-B, page 225, to augment the operational requirements of the ERC.
“Apart from being a rider, the sources of income enumerated have already been included in the Non-Tax Revenue Program for FY 2018, thereby resulting in double programming for the said income sources. The ERC should instead make efficient use of its budget and automatic appropriations in the amount of P413.60 M,” he said.
Duterte thanked the Congress for passing the P3.77-trillion national budget.
“Nagpapasalamat ako sa Kongreso at hindi tayo binigo (I thank the Congress for not failing us). Indeed, the Members of Congress are our partners in our journey towards a more prosperous future,” he said.
“Powered by a sound financing program and carefully crafted priorities, the 2018 Budget will not only foster the golden age of infrastructure and secure peace and order, but also accelerate human capital development for sustained and inclusive growth,” he added. /jpv
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