President Ferdinand Marcos is authorized to carefully assess the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) and make line item vetoes before officially signing it into law, Senate President Francis Escudero said Wednesday, adding such development is part of the legislative process.
“It’s part of the legislative process and the system of checks and balances in our Constitution,” Escudero said when asked to comment on Malacañang’s decision to delay the signing of GAB, which was initially scheduled on December 20.
“The Executive is well within its rights and prerogatives to review, study and make line item vetoes—as is usually done every year with the General Appropriations Bill—especially given its length, complexity and detail,” the Senate President added.
Malacañang through Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin announced earlier this morning that President Marcos decided to postpone the signing of the proposed P6.352-trillion 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
“The scheduled signing of the General Appropriations Act on December 20 will not push through to allow more time for a rigorous and exhaustive review of a measure that will determine the course of the nation for the next year,” Bersamin said in a statement.
He also confirmed that President Marcos will veto some items in the GAB submitted by the Bicameral Conference Committee to reflect public sentiments on the budget legislation and comply with existing laws.
“While we cannot yet announce the date of the signing, we can now confirm that certain items and provisions of the national budget bill will be vetoed in the interest of public welfare, to conform with the fiscal program, and in compliance with laws,” Bersamin said.
