Palace hopes Congress to transmit enrolled 2021 budget bill early December

October 22, 2020

Malacanang expressed hope on Thursday that Congress could transmit to Office of President Rodrigo Duterte the enrolled bill for the 2021 budget in early December.

In a televised press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that once the Office of the President gets hold of the proposed P4.5 trillion budget, thorough review would be conducted.

"The review of the budget is not that fast because it's only in the budget that the President can have what we call as 'line veto'," he said.

Thus, he said it is better for Congress to forward the enrolled General Appropriations Bill to Malacanang as early as possible "to give the executive time to review the budget and to see if it will make specific line item vetoes."

"The sooner the better in December so that we would have ample time to go through it," Roque said when asked when the Palace expects the enrolled bill.

The House of Representatives has yet to forward the GAB to the Senate for its own perusal.

Once the proposed budget is signed into law in December, it will take effect in January next year. Celerina Monte/DMS