After meeting with almost half of his Cabinet on Wednesday to review the 2025 national budget, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said yesterday they will go through the budget items “line by line.”

“Well, we had to have a look because a lot has changed from the budget request of the different departments, and we have to put it back in the same shape that we had first requested,” he told Palace reporters on Thursday.

“Unfortunately, I am only left now with the veto power. Because [the budget] is already done in the bicameral, so it’s approved by the House, approved by the Senate. Now it’s up to us on how we regain control of the spending program,” he said.

While Marcos did not disclose specific items that he wants to veto, he said he is reviewing items that should be prioritized in the budget.

“I want to be very, very sure that the budget for 2025 is directed at the important projects that we have prioritized, number one. And secondly, [to ensure] that there are stronger safeguards on spending for the different projects,” he said.

“Maybe we will reassess the projects that were inserted. Because the insertions that were made were not included in the budget request. So what are those now? Is it really necessary? Maybe the others are not necessary and can be deferred,” he said.

Marcos added that the government must be careful on where to allocate the funds, as the budget is not that big. The budget for 2025 sits at P6.352 trillion. He also stressed that some of the budget will be used for payments for debts incurred by the government.

“It’s not enough, we have to be very careful with our expenditures as most of them are loans. That’s why it needs to go to the right places so that we can pay off our debts, so we can return what we spent on what we owed. And that’s what we are trying to clarify now,” he said.

Even as pressure mounts for the President to review the budget — especially since PhilHealth received a zero subsidy, the budget for DepEd was cut by P10 million, and P26 billion was allocated for the Ayuda para sa Kapos at Kita Program (AKAP) — it can no longer be returned to the bicam committee, and only the veto power of the Chief Executive remains.

“It’s up to us now to look at the items and see what are appropriate, what are relevant, and what are the priorities,” he said.