k annt
Budin ess
Thursday, April
4,2eI9
Sotto ill-advised on budget: l\ndaya BY WEI{DELL VIGIUA
and RAYUo
D AFRIGA
THE.chair of the House comnit_ tee.
on approprfitions yesterday
sard Senare Ptesident Vicente
III's
Sott^
t"i"
ner uging ReSa""t O" to veto rhe alleged unconstitutional le
re_allgnmeols made
by the House Keplesenatives in the p3.757_ mllron proposed national budset tnr 2019 is non_binding beca;se the Senate leader has siened the entolled bi.ll submitted to"Malaca_ ot_
nang.
"The Senate president is ill_
advised by fus lawyers. The lener
ne sent ro the president expressino
lus'sttongfeservations, as'annot"i
rion irl tl.re 2019 national budset enrolled bill has no legal basisllt rs lust a personal request which tie President may or mav not take heed," said Rep. Rolando An.tr,,, Jr @DP-Laban, Camarines S,rri. In separate letters ro Exectr_ Eve Secretary Salvador Medialdea
and acdng Budget Secretary laner Abuel. lasr March 2g,4ndaXi_said rnere rs no such ding as ,.condinonal signing of an enrolled bill..,
He mainrained that the realisn_ ments, which dre Senate also ma?e, are
luty consdtutional
as
part
of
the budgeEiy process, aod there is
no consdtutional provision which h"s been violated, as none was
Sotto. on l{arch 26, said he _ declded to break rhe deadloclr between the Senate and rhe House
ovet rhe budget bill by sisntng the. (;eneral App.opriaioni Bili .,strons
(G,{.6) bur with
nor clothe his srgnatwe ro the 2019
Generai Appropriabons Bill with amDNalence or dissent. Signine
an enrolled copy
of
the naionri
budget is a legal aft. The imorima_ tur of the Senate presidenr'orr rhe
enrolled bill cannot be diminished
crted by the Senarc president_,.
'Q
fage &'6
reserva
uons." He also appealeito presi deDt Duterte to oito the ..uncon sntutional" provisions. Andaya said: .,The Senate can_
s'.rji
See
SOTTO
)
page
85