Marcos ready to veto budget allocations flagged as irregular

Malacañang said the President will not shy away from exercising his constitutional authority to remove problematic budget items, signaling a hardline stance against fiscal irregularities in the proposed spending measure.

Civil society watchdogs have raised concerns about more than P1 trillion in allocations they consider questionable, including provisions they characterize as pork-barrel spending. The criticisms target the House-approved version of the massive budget bill that will guide the national government's spending priorities for the coming year.

The Palace's position underscores the administration's commitment to fiscal discipline and transparency in budget execution. Officials have previously warned against the inclusion of controversial appropriations that lack clear justification or public benefit.

The P7.2-trillion budget represents a significant increase in government spending and has drawn scrutiny from various stakeholder groups monitoring the appropriations process. The veto threat suggests the Palace intends to maintain oversight of the final budget composition before the measure takes effect.

The timing of the Palace statement comes as Congress continues deliberations on the budget proposal ahead of its expected approval and submission to the President for signature.