(Eagle News)–President Rodrigo Duterte’s veto of P95.3 billion worth of items in the 2019 national budget has saved the country over P19 billion in pork commissions.
According to Senator Panfilo Lacson, who was among the senators who lauded Duterte’s decision, in particular, P19.06 billion of taxpayers’ money were spared.
“If there is one act of PRRD that is worthy of admiration, this veto message is on top of my list. With his guts, glory comes to the Filipino taxpayers,” Lacson said.
Lacson had been very vocal against the items subsequently vetoed by Duterte, calling them the House’s “illegal alignments” made even after Congress ratified its version of the budget bill.
House appropriations chair Rolando Andaya Jr. had said, however, that these were mere “itemizations” that would make the budget bill easier to scrutinize.
