Palace: President's veto power can't be questioned

President Rodrigo Duterte's veto power under the Constitution cannot be questioned as some lawmakers planned to raise the alleged irregularities in the 2019 national budget before the Supreme Court, Malacañang said Monday.

Camarines Sur Representative Rolando Andaya Jr. said on Sunday he would join Senators Panfilo Lacson and Franklin Drilon in questioning the veto message in the high court should it contain the restoration of the P75-billion augmentation to the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Andaya accused Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles of working towards the restoration of the controversial allocation.

"How can you question a veto power that’s lodged in the Constitution? It’s there. It’s a power of the President to veto. What they can do under the Constitution is to override a veto. You don’t have to go to the Supreme Court," presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said at a news conference.

"[If] a President vetoes a measure, then Congress can override the veto by the required number of votes. May mechanism," he said.

Panelo, however, said it was the right of the lawmakers to "question anything that they feel should be subject to a petition before the Supreme Court."

"That’s their right. And in fact, that’s their duty if they feel na tama sila. Let the Supreme Court decide," he said.

Diokno, in a press statement, called Andaya's allegation an "unnecessary speculation." The budget chief also said the President can veto particular line items in the budget, but he cannot introduce new items or bring back items that have already been deleted by Congress.

“Congress should respect the President’s constitutional power to veto. It is improper for a legislator to interfere with the President’s constitutional power, or to encourage such wild speculation around it," Diokno said.

Panelo said the President will scrutinize "every phase" and "every provision" of the budget bill ratified by Congress last week.

"He wants to be sure that it is in conformity with the Constitution. And he will veto anything that he feels is not correct or irregular," Panelo said. —LDF, GMA News