Malacañang assured on Sunday that President Aquino will sign the Congress-approved P2.6-trillion 2015 national budget during the Christmas holidays, although the date for the signing rites at the Palace has yet to be fixed.
“The budget-signing ceremonies is one of the important things the President will attend to in the coming days,” Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. said.
He added, however, that the announcement of the final date is still forthcoming.
The Palace official recalled that, as in previous fiscal years, President Aquino makes it a point to sign the annual budget measure into law
before December 30 for it to be effective by the first day of 2015.
Speaking over state-run Radyo ng Bayan, Coloma clarified criticisms aired by Social Watch Philippines lead convenor Leonor Briones that the over P2-trillion budget bill passed by the Senate and the House was still infested with pork-barrel fund sleaze despite the Supreme Court ruling that outlaws the Priority Development Assistance Fund and the Budget Department’s Disbursement Acceleration Program.
Coloma insisted that such criticisms have no basis, except for that they have a different interpretation of the structure of the pork barrel and what is actually contained in the budget.
The secretary pointed out that the main task of the senators and congressmen is to make laws that comply with the Constitution, and it would be unfair to say the lawmakers are passing bills that violate the law.
Coloma added this was why the Palace is taking the effort to clarify the issue.