Build, Build, Build program in the Philippines will be affected- The President signed the budget 4 days after threatening to “outright veto” the entire budget.

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – After over two months of the government operating on a reenacted budget, President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the 2019 General Appropriations Act or national budget.

Duterte signed Republic Act 11260 on Monday, April 15 – almost 3 weeks after the Senate transmitted the budget bill to Malacañang – said Executive Secretary Medialdea in a message to reporters.

A ceremonial signing of the budget bill into law had been calendared for Monday, April 15, but it was eventually stricken off Duterte’s official events because he supposedly needed more time to study it.

Medialdea said the Chief Executive vetoed parts of the budget bill. One vetoed portion was P95.3 billion worth of items in the “Details of DPWH Programs/Projects.”

Duterte vetoed this because they are not among his budget “priorities” for 2019, he added.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the vetoed items were either “considered by law and jurisprudence as rider provisions not being related to a particular appropriation” or were items that “seek to amend the Constitution and certain statues.”

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