(Eagle News)–Senators Panfilo Lacson and Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday, April 15, lauded President Rodrigo Duterte’s veto of more than P95 billion worth of items in the budget bill, which he has signed.
In a statement, Lacson, who has been very vocal against what he said were the “illegal alignments” made by House lawmakers, commended Duterte and his economic managers “for coming up with a ‘pork-free’ national budget.”
“I have to see the veto message first although I think it is safe to assume that at least most if not all of the 75b worth of items as listed by SP Sotto was part of the president’s veto message. It is that, or the 20b plus insertions made by some senators was included as well. Either way, it is victory for the Filipino taxpayers,” Lacson said.
Gatchalian, for his part, said he “appreciate(s)” Duterte’s gesture.
“The veto is proof that the Senate was right all along in saying that the changes made were unconstitutional,” Gatchalian said.
He said as chair of the Senate panel on economic affairs, he was also “relieved that the 2019 budget has finally been signed, primarily because further delay would have caused adverse effects on our macroeconomy.”
“With the General Appropriations Act now enacted, the government can finally focus on catching up with the implementation of pending projects that were delayed because of the budget impasse,” Gatchalian said.
