NATIONAL
Advocates Philippines
President Vetoes Sections Of 2024 GAA
Photo credit: Bongbong Marcos
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has vetoed specific sections of the 2024 General Appropriations Act, targeting key provisions related to the Department of Justice (DOJ) revolving fund and the Implementation of the National Government’s Career Executive Service Development Program.
President Marcos, in a letter dated December 20 to House Speaker Martin Romualdez and other House members, cited his constitutional duty to ensure faithful execution of laws as the basis for the vetoes. He particularly nullified the Department of Justice's attempt to establish a revolving fund, highlighting the absence of legal authorization for such a fund.
The President stressed that service fees imposed on complaints and affidavits were beyond the jurisdiction vested by law upon the National Prosecution Service and the DOJ. Quoting a Supreme Court pronouncement, he deemed such provisions inappropriate and unconstitutional, asserting that matters of general legislation should be addressed in separate enactments.
Additionally, Marcos vetoed Section 38 pertaining to the "Implementation of National Government’s Career Executive Service Development Program," stating it lacked relevance to any specific appropriation in the budget. He referenced Presidential Decree No. 336 and Executive Order No. 292, emphasizing the established framework for the Career Executive Service Board (CESB) and the Development Academy of the Philippines.
Despite the vetoes, President Marcos signed into law Republic Act No. 11975, the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024. The P5.768-trillion budget, constituting 21.1 percent of the gross domestic product, aims to sustain the nation's high-growth trajectory and serves as a linchpin for the Administration's economic transformation goals.
President Marcos, in a letter dated December 20 to House Speaker Martin Romualdez and other House members, cited his constitutional duty to ensure faithful execution of laws as the basis for the vetoes. He particularly nullified the Department of Justice's attempt to establish a revolving fund, highlighting the absence of legal authorization for such a fund.
The President stressed that service fees imposed on complaints and affidavits were beyond the jurisdiction vested by law upon the National Prosecution Service and the DOJ. Quoting a Supreme Court pronouncement, he deemed such provisions inappropriate and unconstitutional, asserting that matters of general legislation should be addressed in separate enactments.
Additionally, Marcos vetoed Section 38 pertaining to the "Implementation of National Government’s Career Executive Service Development Program," stating it lacked relevance to any specific appropriation in the budget. He referenced Presidential Decree No. 336 and Executive Order No. 292, emphasizing the established framework for the Career Executive Service Board (CESB) and the Development Academy of the Philippines.
Despite the vetoes, President Marcos signed into law Republic Act No. 11975, the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024. The P5.768-trillion budget, constituting 21.1 percent of the gross domestic product, aims to sustain the nation's high-growth trajectory and serves as a linchpin for the Administration's economic transformation goals.
Dec 22, 2023
