BINASAG na ng liderato ng Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso ang pananahimik sa kontrobersyal na 2025 national budget na kinuwestiyon dahil sa mga blank item sa bicameral conference committee report.
“The 2025 General Appropriations Act is lawful, valid, and fully enforceable. There are two key points I want to stress for the benefit of all,” ani acting House committee on appropriations chairperson at Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo.
Una dito, ayon sa mambabatas na pansamantalang pumalit sa tinanggal na chair ng komite na si Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, kumpleto at walang blangkong alokasyon sa mahigit 235,000 line items.
“Second, the Bicameral Report explicitly authorized the technical secretariats of both the Senate and the House of Representatives to implement corrections and adjustments as required. These do not affect the integrity nor the legality of the budget,” ayon pa sa mambabatas.
Nilinaw nito na noong pirmahan ng mga miyembro ng Bicameral committee ang report, “All appropriations had already been determined and approved—no changes were made.”
Maaari umanong makita ang buong enrolled General Appropriations Bill sa website ng dalawang kapulungan ng Kongreso na naglalabas ng kumpletong detalye ng 2025 national budget na nagkakahalaga ng P6.352 trillion.
“Makikita po ng lahat ito. Walang itinatago,” ayon pa kay Quimbo kung saan idinagdag nito na “any suggestion of impropriety is unfounded and appears to be politically motivated rather than prompted by genuinely substantive concerns.”
Unang isiniwalat ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang mga blangko sa Bicameral Conference committee report sa pambansang pondo kung saan karamihan ay may kaugnayan sa mga proyekto ng Department of Agriculture (DA).
Tinugon naman ito ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., na fake news at kalaunan ay itinuro ni Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin ang Kongreso na siyang dapat magpaliwanag sa kontrobersya.
“It is unfortunate that an administrative matter is being maliciously misconstrued to create controversy where there is none. This matter has been sufficiently explained, and at a time when we face far real and urgent national challenges, it would be more productive to focus our efforts on addressing the legitimately pressing needs of our people,” ani Quimbo sa inilabas na pahayag kahapon. (BERNARD TAGUINOD)
