Duterte threatens to veto budget if irregularities found

April 11, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday threatened to veto the entire 2019 budget if he finds any irregularities.

Speaking at PDP-Laban’s campaign rally in Bacolod City, Dutere said he just received the proposed P3.757 trillion 2019 national budget.

“Office of the president is not the budget so my legal needs to study it again. Now if there are irregularities, I will outright veto the entire budget,” he said.

Duterte said both houses of Congress cannot agree on their proposed budget which caused the delay due to the exchanges of allegations of "insertions" or pork barrel.

He said he will also look into these insertions.

The Senate is urging the president to veto the P75 billion worth of "internal realignments for the proposed programs or projects under the Local Infrastructure Program of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte may sign the budget after the Holy Week. Ella Dionisio/DMS