6 IIITITI.

A6IBUIIETIil Hditorial Monday, Janilary 6, 202i

We hwait
the President's
budget decisions
)
i..t\ resident Duterte is due to sign the 2o2o projects specified, parked in the budgets of vari-
I I ceneral appropriations Bill today, Janu- ous government agencies, mostly in the Depart-
lr' arV 6. It isllrea4y sig days in theyear, but ment of Public Works and Highways. Theycoulc
t th! president chose'to ielay hijsigriing be pork barrel, but he said the Senate is leaving il
of the bill so he would have a littie more time to to the President and his close economic advisers
look at certain budget provisions more closely. in Malacaflang to decide whether or not to veto
BUDGET Last year, we may recall, the national budget them, as he did last year.
bill for.jOtg was late three.months and was ap- On the other hand, Davao City Rep. Isidro Ung-
2o2o 2 proved by Congress only in April, ZOr9, as senatols ab, chairman of the House Committee on Appro-
ind congresstien could not agree on certain pro- friations, has assured that the House budget bill
viSions ihat appeared to be ,{pork barrel,' placed contains no pork barrel and no parked funds.
there by congressional leaders-. The stalemale was The important thing is that th€.three-month
-'4a- broken only"when Senate President Vicente Sotto delay of last year's budget is not happening this
UI agreed t; sentl the budget to Malacaiang, even year. That delay set.back the implem€Itation 01
with-the questioned provisions. so many government prolects and tl\ls in turn
, He wrote the
preiident that the Senate was lowered the country's Gross National qroduct.
disputed
sencling the bill to Malacafrangwith all its We should have no such Problem this,year. Tht
provisilons, so as not to further delay its approval six-day delay in the sig,ning of the 2o2O budgel
,ind implementation. But he told ihe preiident wiil have littie or no effect. More impoftant is
\ it still iontained p?5 billion in pork barrel. The President Duterte's decision on some of the Provi-
L President simply vetoed the pzs bitliotr. sions quesrironed by senatol Lacson.but defende(
i Thir v""r,p83 3en. panfilo Lacson said the budget by CongreSCman Ungab. We trusf thdt Presiden
I big-condins billion in lump sums without any Duterte will make the right decidions.
rl,
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