Malacañang on Tuesday, July 24, expressed confidence in the timely passage of the country’s budget for next year, following the administration’s early submission of the proposed P3.757-trillion 2019 budget to Congress.
“Pagkatapos po ng makulay na pangyayari sa Kamara, naisumite rin po ang 2019 budget kahapon… We will now gear up to ensure full and speedy rollout,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. announced in a Palace press briefing a day after the President’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA).
According to Secretary Roque, the proposed national budget seeks to fund the President’s key priorities for next year, including intensifying infrastructure development, expanding programs on human development, building a more secure and peaceful nation, and other select major social programs of the government.
The Palace official said the passage of the cash-based budget proposal would be a test for the new House Speaker, Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Furthermore, he stressed that Malacañang is “able and ready” to work with any chosen leader of Congress, following the recent voting among House members to install Arroyo as its new Speaker.
Sec. Roque said the President observes the principle of separation of powers among the co-equal branches of government, and as such would accord members of Congress full respect particularly in their choice of leadership.
“It has always been the Palace position that we do not interfere in purely internal matters of the House… Whatever the decision of the House is, the Palace has always been amenable to accepting the choice of leadership,” he said.
“We have had very good relations with Speaker Arroyo. She was one of the staunchest supporters of the President during the elections. They share the same political agenda,” Roque added, stressing that the Palace does not foresee any problems in working with Arroyo.
Meanwhile, the President’s spokesperson noted that there is a huge chance the President could sign into law the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) within the week.
He said all that needs to be done is for the House to ratify the measure, which Roque described as a “milestone achievement” for the administration and an evidence of the President’s own political will.
“All that has to be done is for the House to ratify it,” the Spokesperson said. “This is the first time that the BBL [Bangsamoro Basic Law] was enacted after MOA-AD [Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain] was declared unconstitutional,” Roque added.
‘Palace thanks Pinoys for seeing drug war as Duterte’s top achievement’
During the same press briefing, Malacañang expressed gratitude to the Filipino people for continuing to recognize the Duterte administration’s significant strides in the war against illegal drugs and criminality.
“Nagagalak po kami at nagpapasalamat sa taumbayang Pilipino sa kanilang pagkikilala sa achievement ng Duterte administration pagdating po dito sa giyera laban sa droga,” Secretary Roque said.
He cited results of the latest Pulse Asia survey, which showed that 69 percent of Filipinos consider the campaign against illegal drugs as the President’s most important accomplishment since he assumed office in 2016.
The survey further noted that 50 percent of Filipinos believe that the administration’s fight against criminality is its second most significant achievement.
This is a reflection of the President’s ongoing agenda on law and order, peace, and prosperity, Roque noted. (PCO-Content)