(ongress can

defeat vetoed
budget items, hrcinessMirnor
says Diokno Tuesday, February 12, 2Ol9

P75 billion
The alleged "insertion"to the
budget ofthe Department of
Public Works and Highways,
which Diokno said was part of Congress can defeat vetoed
the "final adjustments" in theit
(ommitment to disburse the budget items, says Diokno
equivalent of 5 petcent of GDP
for infrastrudure spending CoNTINUED FRoMAI of fiscal rvisdom. Hence, we will
provide the President the option
Br BERNADETTE D, NIcoLAs
be joining Senato( Panfilo Lacson to veto oru ccep L rh e amendment.
t @BNicolasBM
Sr. and Senate Majority Leader . lf the congre.sional amendment
Franklin Drilon in questioning the is a n improvern en t over the Presi-
UDGET Secretary Benta-
veto message before the Supreme dent's proposal, we will propose
min E. Diokno on Monday
debunked accusations that
Court, adopLion; otherwise, we will
Malararlang, however. said it is propose line-item veto. Congress
he is in cahoots with Cabinet Sec-
with i" r he righL ofCorgress ro ques has done its consritutional dury
retary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles
tion anyth.ing that they feel should co review, amend and finally au-
to make President Duterte veto
be subiect Lo pelirron before the thorize the budget. Now, it's the
the General Appropriations Bill
Supreme Court. duty of the President to approve,
to restore the P/5 brllion he aF "That's their right and, in fact,
legedly inserted.
approve with line irem vero, or
that's their duty if they feel that veto altogether the r,,fi o1e budget,"
Calling the allegations of
they are correct..Let the Supreme he added.
House Appropriations Commitee
Court decide," said Presidential The BusrNEssN{iRaon sought
ChairmanRep. Rolando G. Anda-
Spokesnlan and Chief Presidential the comrlent of Nograles on An-
yaJr. "baseless," "premature" and
"irresponsible," Diokno said they Legal Counsel SalvadorS. Panelo in dava. neiv aliegaLion but he has
a Paiace briefing on Monday. )er to respond, as of press time.
have yet to receive the enrolled
copy of the budget bill, which
Healso saidthe lawmakers don'r Prior to his appointment as
need to go to the Supreme Coutt Cabinet secretary, Nograles was the
was ratified by both Houses of
should they have a problem wirh chairman of the same House com-
Congress on Friday after a two-
the veto message of rhe President. mittee nowchairedbyAndaya. Last
month delay.
"Our job is to provide the ,' "What they [awmakers] can week Nograles assured thi public
President the facts and options do under the Constitution is to that the 2019 national budget will
- override the veto. You don't have be pork-free despite the issues
so he can exercise his constitu-
tional duty to act on the budget to go to the Supreme Court. The surrounding it.
bill once it arrives on his desk, President vetoes the measure, Diokno has since denied calling
including the option to exercise Congress c'an override the veto by the P75 billion an "insertion" to
the required number ofvotes," he the budget of the DPWH as this
his line-itemveto power," he said
in a statement added. was just part of the budget pro
While Diokno said that Con- But the budget chief said they cess. He said it rvas not an inser-
gress has the authority to'over-
will scrutinize the budget as .ub- tion as this was just part of the
mitted by Congress, line byline, as l'final adjustments" since they
ride the President's veto with
the DBM will prepare a Statement found out that they are still short
two-thirds vote, he also thinks
it is "irresponsible for alegislator
ofDifference to compare itwith the in their commitment to disburse
President's budget. the equivalent of5 percent of GDP
to threaten the President with a
"We do not claim monopoly for infrastructure spending.
suit in the exercise of his power
to line.item veto some objec-
tionable amendments made bY 'l Tpn)r /rAG€//
Congress."
Andaya on Sunday saidhe will