President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said he will likely sign next year’s national budget before Christmas Day.
“Probably, yes. But you should really ask the bicam to see what their schedule is. But yes, I think before Christmas,” the President said in a chance interview in Muntinlupa.
He said he is still waiting for the bicameral conference committee report on next year’s national capital outlay.
“I think the bicam does not have a report yet. We’re waiting for that.
They’re putting the finishing touches on it. Maybe in the coming days,” Mr. Marcos said.
“But certainly, the minute it is finalized then we will immediately, of course, pass the budget,” he added.
For his part, former Senate President Franklin Drilon defended Congress’s decision to increase the unprogrammed appropriations in the 2024 national budget, saying the move was legal and does not violate the Constitution.
“Unprogrammed funds are standby appropriations that are distinct from the approved fiscal program of the National Government. Transactions related to these funds are recorded when they become actual, contingent upon compliance with conditions specified in the Special Provisions of the unprogrammed appropriations in the General Appropriations Act,” Drilon said.
The primary purpose of unprogrammed appropriations, he said, was to authorize additional agency expenditures for priority programs and projects beyond the original budget.
This supported the assertion of Senate Finance Committee chief Juan Edgardo Angara, who said the decision of Congress to include an additional P450 billion to the unprogrammed funds in next year’s budget does not violate the Constitution and is “nothing new.”
“These expenditures are allowed only when revenue collections surpass the resource targets assumed in the budget or when additional foreign project loan proceeds are realized,” Drilon said.
“I find no constitutional violation in the increase of funding for unprogrammed funds. It becomes a non-issue as long as they adhere to the conditions outlined for releasing the funds,” he added.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III earlier said the additional unprogrammed funds and increases in other appropriations made the final version of the budget “unconstitutional.”
“Is that compliant with the Constitution? Our Constitution states that Congress may approve the appropriations proposed by the President for the operations of the government, but it cannot increase the appropriations. Congress can maintain the appropriations or reduce the appropriations, but it cannot increase the appropriations,” the senator said.
Data from Pimentel’s office showed the final version of the 2024 General Appropriations Bill at P6.498 trillion is composed of P4.019 trillion in programmed funds, P731 billion in unprogrammed funds, and P1.748 trillion in automatic appropriations.
“What happened now is that Congress gave the executive branch the authority to spend an amount even greater than what is asked by the executive branch. It’s as simple as that – unconstitutional,” he said.
Pimentel, a lawyer, said this can be questioned before the Supreme Court.