Tl'lE PHILIPPINE STAR

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By DELON PORCALLA billion realigned by congress- nine,years, Arroyo said.shb
men in the 2019 national budget respects Duterte despite his
Speaker Gloria Macapagal- becauseheconsidered theinser-' veto of the realignmentsby the
Arroyo is not picking a fight tions "unconstitutional" and he House gf Representatives.
with President Dutertg who de- abhorred corruption. "It's done and wa trust *ie
clared that he had vetoed P95.3 Having been president for Turn to page 7

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Prgsident's judgment. Even mc, I used "He also made it clear that he will not
line veto. Every:year, I partially vetoed the tolelate corruption in his administration
budgel" Arroyo said, referring to portions and that our-positions in government
thatbuterte ietoed in the P3:7s7-trillion should not be'used for pelsonal sain,
' national budget for 2019. What part of this messafe did AnEaya
Republic Act 11260, or ihe General Ap- did noi understand?
piopriations Act for Fiscal Year 2019 that
"The President's line veto of P95 billion
Duterte signed last April 15, saw some worth of illegal insertions in the General
vetoed apDropriations under several Aoorouriations Bill was alreadv a slao
agencies dfthe national government. irithe face for the House leadersfiip," h!
These included the Departrnent of Pub- said.
lic Works and Highways', Deparknent of
Labor and Empl6ymeirt-Nat'ionai Labor
Relations Commission, Department of
Agriculture, Department of Health and
Department of Trade and Industry
Arroyo was president for nine years
from January 2001 io June 2010 and was
elected congresswoman in the same year
This is her tfiird and last term as represen-
tative of Pampanga's second districl a
post that will be taken over by her eldegt
son Mikev
Anoth6r official of the House of Repre.
sentatives, Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando
Andaya Jr. who heads the House appro-
priations committee, also welcomed the
presidential
- "We respect veto.
the decision of President
Duterte on the 2019 national budget. The
President knows whatisbest for die coun-
try and our people," Andaya said.
He reiterated the Arroyo leadership
still led the swift passage irf the priority
measures of Duterte in the House, includ-
ing the national budget that will pass the
constitutionality test.
"In support of President Dutet'te's leg-
islative agenda, the House of Represenia-
tives has approved a1l of the President's
priority bills in record time," said Andaya,
a former budget secretaly.
"We eventually passed a national bud-
get that will pass the test of constitu tional-
ity ard legality, but also of ftansparenry
and accountability. All appropriations
for government programs and projects
are itemized, in full compliance with the
laws of the land and recentSupreme Court
decisions," he said.
A lawmaker who felt vindicated by
the presidential veto, Camarines Sur Rep.
LRay Villafuerte, said the House leader-
ship should get jts act together to show
ihat the chamber is truly supportive of
Duterte's anti-corruption campaign and
inclusive development agenda.
"In his veto message the President