Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman has criticized the administration for supposedly deleting the projects proposed by opposition lawmakers in next year’s P3.767 trillion budget. Congress has exclusive and primary jurisdiction in the preparation and approval of the budget,” Roque said in a press briefing. Roque said Malacañang could not do anything about the budget realignments because lawmakers are the ones who make decisions on the General Appropriations Act. So it’s not for us, a decision for the Executive to make, it’s a decision that Congress makes,” he added. Duterte signed the 2018 budget into law last Tuesday, an outlay that he said would help address poverty and promote economic growth.

Source: Philippine Star December 21, 2017 10:07 UTC