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Frlday, September 20,2OLg ,

Duterte certifies 2020 budget

bill as urgent to avoid delay
President Duterte has certifred the
proposed P4.l-trillion national budget
for 2020 to avoid a repeat of the delay
in the passage of the 2019 budget that
adversely affected the administration's
economic program and delivery of ser-
vices to the public, Malacanang said.
Presidential spokesman Salvador
Panelo said the President certified the
bill as urgent to remind lawmakers of
the effects of a re-enacted budget on
the country
The President sent letters to Senate
President Vi€ente Sotto.III and llouse
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano cedilying
"the necessitv of the immedi-
aie enactment" of ffouse Bi[- )10

Duterte certifies 2020... <1 ment of Public Works and Highways

No. 4228 or the 2020 General Appropria-
tions Bill (GAB).
The budget letter from the presi-
dent was received by Cayetano's of-
fice late Wednesday afternoon.
"Yes, certified already. We learned
lessons from last year,,, presidential
Legislative Llaison Office head Adeli-
no Sitoy said in a text message.
In his letters to the Congress lead-
ers, the President sought the passage
of the new budget to ,,address the
need to maintain continuous govern-
ment operations following the end of
the current year fiscal year.,,
It would also "expedite the fund-
ing ofvarious programs, projects Eind
activities for FY 2020, and to ensure
budgetary pheparedness that will
enable the government to effectively
perform its Constitutional mandate,;,
Duterte said.
"In cerlifying the urgency oI the
budget bill. PRRD wants ro convey
to the members of Congress the
importance of passing the Generat
Appropriations Bilt on time to avoid
a repeat of a re-enacted btudget that
wreaked havoc on the economic pro-
gram of this administration, affected
the timely delivery oI basic services
to the people, and ultimately, slowed
our growth during the first quarter of
this year," Panelo said.
"Governmeht operations must
never be hampered and our constitu-
tional mandate lo serve the Filipino
people must prevail over partisan
considerations and constant differ-
ences or varying interpretations on
the budget," he added.
The government operated on a
re-enact-ed budget for the
first four
months of 2019 following accusations
about insertions in the budget among
the lawmakers.
Duterte signed the F3.?bZ-billion
2019 budget in April this year but
vetoed P95.3 billion in items of ap-
propriations in the details ofDepart-
(DPWH) Programs/projecl s. which
were not within the programmed,
priorities.
The President iaid that operat-
ing under a re-enacted budget would
have adverse effects on the country's
economy, with the country,s gross do-
mestic product taking a dip. and law,
enforcemenl would also suf[er.
On Wednesday, House Committee l
on Ways and Means chairman Rep.
Joey Salceda expressed confiderrCe
i
that the Lower House would passrilib'
proposed 2020 budget before the end
of the month.
He also said that each congress-
man will have an allocation of F100
million for projects for their districtspr.
F70 million of which will be for infra-
slructure proiects, while the remain-
ing F30 million for soft programs like
medical assistance.
Salceda said the allocations were
determined by the Executive Depart-
ment which submitted the proposed
budget to Congress last month for
its scrutiny.

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