BACOLOD CITY — President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Thursday, April 12, announced that he would not hesitate to veto the 2019 national budget if he finds irregularities in it.
In a speech during the Partido Demokratiko-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) campaign rally here, President Duterte said the national budget was just recently submitted.
“I have to sign it pagdating ko. Pagbalik ko pa. Pinag-aralan pa. Galing Budget to the Office of the President. The Office of the President is not the Budget. So ang legal ko magbasa uli,” he said.
“Ngayon, pagka talagang tagilid ‘yan, I will outright veto the entire budget. Kaya hindi magkasundo ang Congress pati Senado eh. And ‘yung mga insertions diyan, titingnan ko. Pagka tagilid talaga, I will not hesitate to veto the entire budget. Eh ‘di pasensya tayong lahat,” the President explained.
Lawmakers wrangled over alleged insertions in the national budget, stalling deliberations in Congress.
The government has been operating on a reenacted 2018 budget since the start of the year after lawmakers failed to agree on the 2019 national budget.
Duterte to fire more corrupt officials before China trip
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive threatens to fire more government officials involved in corruption before he leaves for Beijing later this month to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum.
“Next week, when I fly back to report to work, before I leave for China, marami akong tatanggalin,” he said.
President Duterte also encouraged the public to report to him cases of corruption and further utilize the 8888 hotline for this matter.
Countless times the President mentioned that he would sack more erring government officials as he made this promise to the Filipino people even before he won the Presidential election in 2016.
According to the President, the process is done gradually because he waits for the report to confirm if the graft allegations against the officials are legit.
“I vowed to lessen the corruption but I will fire more next week. I am just waiting for [the] report,” he noted.
“I told them, ‘you give me your report and if I find it justifiable, you can stay. But if there is corruption, ‘I’m sorry,'” he said. ###PND
