MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte has certified the proposed P3.767 trillion budget for 2018 as an urgent measure, urging Congress to expedite its enactment.
In a letter to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, the President said, “Pursuant to the provisions of Article VI, Section 28 (2) of the 1987 Constitution, I hereby certify the necessity of the immediate enactment of House Bill 6215, titled An Act appropriating funds for the operation of government of the Republic of the Philippines from January 1 to December 31, 2018.”
The President said the budget was needed “in order to address the need to maintain continuous government operation following the end of the current fiscal year, to expedite the funding of various programs, projects and activities for fiscal year 2018, and to ensure budgetary preparedness that will enable the government to effectively perform its Constitutional mandate.”
The House of Representatives is currently conducting floor deliberations of the proposed budget and is expected to approve it on second reading late Tuesday.
The certification of a measure as urgent allows the House to approve a bill on second and third reading on the same day, without waiting for the three-day interval.
