MANILA, Philippines – The proposed P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020 is likely to be signed by President Rodrigo Duterte early January, slightly behind schedule.

In a briefing on Monday, December 23, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said that while the budget may not be enacted into law as originally planned this December, he is confident that projects will not be delayed.

“I am still hoping na mapirmahan before January 1. Kahit mapirmahan ng January 6, sabi ni ES (Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea) wala namang delay na mangyayari,” Cayetano said.

(I am still hoping that it will be signed before January 1. But even if it is signed on January 6, ES said there will be no delays.)

Cayetano added that copies of the budget were transmitted to Malacañang on Monday for review.

He insisted that there is no pork barrel or illegal funds in the proposed budget, contrary to allegations of some legislators like Senator Panfilo Lacson. (READ: Lacson urges Duterte to veto questionable P16B in bicam-approved 2020 budget)

“As a general rule, lahat naman puwede mo i-corrupt lahat eh. Kaya nga pati paradise na-corrupt eh, ‘di ba? Ang question is may projects bang inherently masyadong lapitin sa corruption, like lump sum na pork barrel,” Cayetano said.

(As a general rule, everything is corruptible. Even paradise got corrupted, right? The question is if there are projects that are inherently prone to corruption, like lump sums which are pork barrel.)

For the first half of 2019, the government operated under a reenacted 2018 budget amid a gridlock between both chambers of Congress. This led to dismal economic growth and hurt the Duterte administration’s ambitious Build, Build, Build agenda due to delayed infrastructure projects. – Rappler.com