By Brian Campued
Malacañang has postponed the target date for the signing of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) to give President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. more time for a “rigorous and comprehensive review” of the measure.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, in a statement Wednesday, said the President is personally leading the assessment of the proposed P6.352 trillion national budget.
“The ongoing assessment is being led by the President himself, in consultation with the heads of major departments,” Bersamin said, adding that no specific date for the signing has been announced.
He also confirmed that the Chief Executive will veto certain items and provisions of the measure “to conform with the fiscal program and in compliance with [the] laws.”
In a media interview on Monday, Marcos assured that the Office of the President is looking for a way to restore the P10 billion that was slashed from the Department of Education’s proposed 2025 budget.
Meanwhile, the President justified the zero subsidy for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for 2025, citing the state insurer’s estimated reserve funds amounting to P500 billion.
“Hindi nagamit ’yon ng ilang taon. In other words, PhilHealth has sufficient budget to do all the things that they want to do,” he said.
The bicameral conference committee approved the final version of House Bill No. 10800 on Dec. 11.
‘Sign of a healthy democracy’
Lawmakers, meanwhile, respected the decision of the President as it is part of the checks and balances in the legislative process.
“This is part of the legislative process and the system of checks and balances in our Constitution. 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,” Senate President Francis Escudero said in a statement.
Senate Finance Committee chair Grace Poe also underscored the President’s authority to assess the budget and approve or veto the proposed budget, which is the “most important piece of legislation” ensuring economic stability next year.
“I believe his economic managers are giving the President the best advice possible given the situation,” Poe said. (with report from Mela Lesmoras/PTV News)
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