Malacañang on Tuesday said President Rodrigo Duterte would sign the P5.024-trillion national budget for 2022 before the year ends.

“We would want to assure and we assure the public that the budget will be signed. Pipirmahan po ni Pangulong Duterte ang budget for 2022 bago pa man sumapit ang Dec. 31,” acting Palace spokesman Karlo Nograles said in a virtual presser.

Duterte has to sign the 2022 budget by Dec. 31, or else the country would have a reenacted budget next year.

Nograles said Duterte’s office was still reviewing the budget.

“Tuluy-tuloy pa po iyong review process. Hindi pa po natatapos iyong review process at pagsusuri noong budget,” he said.

The proposed budget, the most expensive in history, was ratified by the Senate and the House of Representatives through a bicameral committee on Dec. 15.

“‘Pag sinubmit po ‘yan dito sa executive branch, sa Malacañang ay dumadaan po ‘yan sa vetting at review process. So ilang araw na lamang po at matatapos na rin iyong review process and the President will immediately sign the budget,” Nograles said.

Duterte was supposed to sign the budget on Dec. 28. John Ezekiel J. Hirro