Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Finance committee chairperson Grace Poe on Wednesday tagged as part of checks and balances of government and sign of healthy democracy the decision of Malacañang to defer the signing of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
“It’s part of the legislative process and the system of checks and balances in our Constitution,” Escudero said when asked to comment on Malacañang’s decision.
“The Executive is well within its rights and prerogatives to review, study and make line item vetoes – as is usually done every year with the General Appropriations Bill – especially given its length, complexity and detail,” he added.
Poe echoed a similar statement and noted the President’s “authority to assess the budget and approve or veto the proposed [General Appropriations Act].”
“This is a sign of a healthy democracy. We have to support the checks and balances of our budgetary process,” she said.
“I believe his economic managers are giving the President the best advice possible given the situation. The GAA is the most important piece of legislation that can determine our economic stability and our GDP growth in 2025,” she added.
Earlier in the day, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin announced that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is postponing the ceremonial signing of the 2025 GAB scheduled on December 20.
“The scheduled signing of the General Appropriations Act on December 20 will not push through to allow more time for a rigorous and exhaustive review of a measure that will determine the course of the nation for the next year,” Bersamin said in a statement.
He said that Marcos is consulting with the heads of major departments in an “ongoing assessment.”
“While we cannot yet announce the date of the signing, we can now confirm that certain items and provisions of the national budget bill will be vetoed in the interest of public welfare, to conform with the fiscal program, and in compliance with laws,” added Bersamin.
Several concerns were raised against the Congress-proposed 2025 national budget bill, particularly on the P26 billion funding for the controversial Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program or AKAP, reduction in the budget of the Department of Education, and zero subsidy for Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
Warnings on possible constitutional violation were also raised as the bicam increased the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways to P1.1 trillion, which some legislators claimed was higher than the total funding for the education sector.
Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution states that “[t]he State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education.”
Poe and administration House members have defended the decisions on the final version of the 2025 GAB.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
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