President Rodrigo Duterte may sign into law the P4.1 trillion national budget for 2020 by January, Malacañang said on Thursday.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said it could no longer be possible for Duterte to ink the 2020 General Appropriations Bill before the year ends.

"He (Duterte) said January, first week," he said when asked when the President would approve the budget.

Panelo, also chief presidential legal counsel, said that Duterte could still be studying the enrolled bill.

Senator Panfilo Lacson Jr earlier claimed there was a huge insertion made by the House of Representatives in the 2020 budget.

He expressed hope Duterte would veto the congressional insertion.

Panelo reiterated that if Duterte finds any unconstitutional provision in the budget bill, he would veto it.

"When somebody says it’s unconstitutional, it doesn’t mean it’s unconstitutional. This President is a lawyer. He knows what is unconstitutional or not so he decides for himself," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS