PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte on Monday finally signed the four-month delayed P3.757-trillion 2019 national budget into law, but vetoed about P95.3 billion in appropriations.
The budget goes into the books as Republic Act No. 11260, or the General Appropriations Act of 2019, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said in a mobile phone message to reporters. “RA No 11260 Budget Act for 2019 into law. Vetoed 95.3 B,” he said in his text message.
Asked for confirmation, Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea replied in a separate text message: “yes”, adding that “[t]he President, among others, vetoed P95.3 billion items of appropriations in the details of DPWH programs/projects, which are not within the programmed priorities.”
The President last week threatened to veto the entire 2019 budget, should Malacañang’s review unearth irregular fund realignments.
The budget, ratified on Feb. 8 by both chambers of Congress, was transmitted to the Office of the President just on March 26 by the Senate with a letter on the Senate President’s reservations over some P95 billion in funds the House of Representatives allegedly realigned after the spending plan was ratified.
Of this amount, P75 billion was realigned to fund programs and projects under the Local Infrastructure Program of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III had warned in January that the delay in budget enactment would prevent the government from spending on P46 billion worth of priority projects this quarter, and in the middle of March said the state would be hard-put to catch up on its disbursement program for the year. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said on Friday that economic managers have prepared a contingency plan to catch up on spending.
The delay in the budget enactment had prompted the interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee — headed by state economic managers — on March 13 to slash its target for 2019 gross domestic product (GDP) expansion to 6-7% from 7-8%, while the National Economic and Development Authority projected separately that the full-year GDP growth could clock in at 6.1-6.3% from 6.2% last year if the reenacted 2018 budget were to remain in force until April.
https://www.bworldonline.com/duterte-signs-2019-budget-into-law/
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Palawan elections in limbo after law splits province into 3
THE upcoming midterm elections in Palawan now face uncertainty following the recent passage of Republic Act (RA) 11259 dividing it into three new provinces.
The Commission on Election’s (Comelec) en banc is now in the process of deciding whether to push through or defer the midterm elections in Palawan.
Relatedly, Malacañang is unfazed by the warning of Sen. Risa Hontiveros that Palawan’s split into three provinces renders it more vulnerable to aggression by China, which has long been muscling its way into the West Philippine Sea. Palawan is the closest Philippine province to the disputed waters in the South China Sea.
Comelec Spokesman James B. Jimenez said among Comelec en banc’s consideration for its decision on whether to push through with the May elections in Palawan will be the resources and effort they already dedicated for the polls in Palawan.
“All the preparations, like the list of voters, are already ready. But the problem is the configuration on the ground suddenly changed,” Jimenez told reporters in an interview. “From one province, it will be three provinces each with its own list of voters and allocations,” he added.
Another factor which will be crucial for the decision, Jimenez said, is the plebiscite they would have to organize in Palawan to implement RA 11259.
“These should be taken into consideration by the en banc in deciding what the proper procedure moving forward is,” Jimenez said.
During the plebiscite, scheduled in May 2020, registered voters in Palawan will decide if they will support RA 11259. Under RA 11259, the province is split into Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur.
No implication on West PHL Sea
Meanwhile, Malacañang does not see any possibility that the new law splitting Palawan into three provinces will bolster China’s position in the West Philippine Sea.
The Palace was responding to a statement by Hontiveros that the law has “deep geopolitical repercussions” since “China will now have the opportunity to infiltrate and influence smaller local government units” instead of having to face a single, strong provincial government, which can mobilize the entire island in its own defense.
President Duterte signed RA 11259 dividing Palawan into three provinces just days after Manila got embroiled in another word war with Beijing over the swarming by hundreds of Chinese boats in the vicinity of Pag-Asa Island, the biggest in the Kalayaan Island Group that is a municipality of Palawan.
More than 200 Chinese vessels were spotted swarming Pag-Asa Island, according to local authorities. But Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo was quick to defend the law splitting Palawan in three, saying he sees “no connection” in relation to Hontiveros’s claim.
Panelo added that even though Palawan is not divided, China can infiltrate if it wants to.
“Even if there is no division into provinces, it will infiltrate it if it wants to,” Panelo added in Filipino.
The Palace spokesman also stressed that every creation of a new province was meant to help the government respond better to the needs of the people through faster delivery of basic services.
The first set of elective officials of the newly created provinces will be chosen in the May 2022 national and local polls.
The measure has also since been criticized by some Palawan residents and indigenous peoples.
Hontiveros also said there was a lack of genuine consultation in the proposal, citing a letter from Bishop Eduard Sarabia Juanich of Taytay, Palawan, and the petition by the Save Palawan Movement.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/04/16/palawan-elections-in-limbo-after-law-splits-province-into-3/
The Commission on Election’s (Comelec) en banc is now in the process of deciding whether to push through or defer the midterm elections in Palawan.
Relatedly, Malacañang is unfazed by the warning of Sen. Risa Hontiveros that Palawan’s split into three provinces renders it more vulnerable to aggression by China, which has long been muscling its way into the West Philippine Sea. Palawan is the closest Philippine province to the disputed waters in the South China Sea.
Comelec Spokesman James B. Jimenez said among Comelec en banc’s consideration for its decision on whether to push through with the May elections in Palawan will be the resources and effort they already dedicated for the polls in Palawan.
“All the preparations, like the list of voters, are already ready. But the problem is the configuration on the ground suddenly changed,” Jimenez told reporters in an interview. “From one province, it will be three provinces each with its own list of voters and allocations,” he added.
Another factor which will be crucial for the decision, Jimenez said, is the plebiscite they would have to organize in Palawan to implement RA 11259.
“These should be taken into consideration by the en banc in deciding what the proper procedure moving forward is,” Jimenez said.
During the plebiscite, scheduled in May 2020, registered voters in Palawan will decide if they will support RA 11259. Under RA 11259, the province is split into Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur.
No implication on West PHL Sea
Meanwhile, Malacañang does not see any possibility that the new law splitting Palawan into three provinces will bolster China’s position in the West Philippine Sea.
The Palace was responding to a statement by Hontiveros that the law has “deep geopolitical repercussions” since “China will now have the opportunity to infiltrate and influence smaller local government units” instead of having to face a single, strong provincial government, which can mobilize the entire island in its own defense.
President Duterte signed RA 11259 dividing Palawan into three provinces just days after Manila got embroiled in another word war with Beijing over the swarming by hundreds of Chinese boats in the vicinity of Pag-Asa Island, the biggest in the Kalayaan Island Group that is a municipality of Palawan.
More than 200 Chinese vessels were spotted swarming Pag-Asa Island, according to local authorities. But Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo was quick to defend the law splitting Palawan in three, saying he sees “no connection” in relation to Hontiveros’s claim.
Panelo added that even though Palawan is not divided, China can infiltrate if it wants to.
“Even if there is no division into provinces, it will infiltrate it if it wants to,” Panelo added in Filipino.
The Palace spokesman also stressed that every creation of a new province was meant to help the government respond better to the needs of the people through faster delivery of basic services.
The first set of elective officials of the newly created provinces will be chosen in the May 2022 national and local polls.
The measure has also since been criticized by some Palawan residents and indigenous peoples.
Hontiveros also said there was a lack of genuine consultation in the proposal, citing a letter from Bishop Eduard Sarabia Juanich of Taytay, Palawan, and the petition by the Save Palawan Movement.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/04/16/palawan-elections-in-limbo-after-law-splits-province-into-3/
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