Romualdez: We will guard every peso of the budget
THE House of Representatives yesterday opened plenary deliberations on the proposed P6.352 trillion proposed national budget for 2025, with Speaker Martin Romualdez warning government agencies that their annual allocations would be adversely affected if they engage in irregularities.
Romualdez, in a speech before the floor discussions started, said public officials who commit irregularities should not blame lawmakers but themselves if their budget requests are slashed or realigned since they are just doing their duty of safeguarding the people’s money.
He added the House of Representatives would not tolerate hypocrisy and evasion from agencies that have misused public funds.
“We cannot ignore the reality that there are those who seek to undermine our work – critics who speak of accountability while conveniently ignoring their own misuse of public funds,” he said. “To these individuals, I say, let us be clear: this chamber will not tolerate hypocrisy, nor will it stand idle in the face of such blatant disregard for public trust.”
The House Committee on Appropriations last week slashed by more than P1 billion the Office of the Vice President’s proposed P2.037 budget for 2025 because of Vice President Sara Duterte’s unwillingness to cooperate in the House budget hearings.
The bulk of the cuts will come from the OVP’s proposed socioeconomic programs, which many lawmakers found to be a duplication of the functions of other departments and agencies, especially the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Lawmakers made the cuts after the Vice President snubbed the resumption of the budget hearing last Tuesday, which prompted the appropriations panel to defer the termination of the deliberations for the second time.
The deliberations on the OVP’s proposed budget was first deferred last August 27 when tensions flared after Duterte stonewalled questions on the notice of disallowance that the Commission on Audit (COA) has issued to the OVP for its use of P73 million out of its P125 million confidential funds in 2022, saying it is up to the House to decide on her office’s budget proposal.
In reaction to her office’s slashed budget, Duterte shot back she can work with a zero budget and accused the House of conspiring with the militant Makabayan bloc to allegedly discredit her. She likewise alleged that Romualdez is controlling the annual national budget with Rep. Zaldy Co (PL, AKo Bicol), chair of the appropriations panel.
“Hindi maaaring magturo ng daliri ang may sariling kasalanan. Sa harap ng Kongreso, lahat ay dadaan sa tamang proseso, at walang makakatakas sa pananagutan (The one who has faults cannot point the accusing finger. In Congress, everything will go through the correct process, and no one will escape accountability),” Romualdez said.
Romualdez emphasized that the House has long upheld the principles of transparency and accountability, ensuring that every government expenditure is scrutinized and aligned with national priorities.
The Speaker assured the public that the House would remain uncompromising in defending good governance, fiscal responsibility, and the protection of taxpayers’ money.
“This House answers to no one but the people. We will stand firm against pressure or influence, and we will guard every peso as if it were our own. The eyes of the nation are on us, and we will not fail them,” he said.
“Walang makakalusot sa ating pagsusuri. Tayo ang boses at mata ng taongbayan, at sa kanilang pangalan, tayo ang magbabantay laban sa pag-abuso at korapsiyon (No one will escape scrutiny. We’ll be the voice and eyes of the people, and in their name, we’ll guard against abuses and corruption),” Romualdez said, as he commended his colleagues for their “diligence and commitment to defending public coffers” and telling them that their priority “is the Filipino people, ensuring that public funds are responsibly allocated, well spent and protected from abuse.”
“As legislators, we are not only guardians of the national purse, but also stewards of the people’s trust. Every peso we allocate in this budget carries with it the sweat and sacrifice of millions of Filipinos, and it is our duty to ensure that these resources are spent wisely, effectively and with absolute accountability,” he said.
Co and panel senior vice chair Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo rallied their colleagues to prioritize the swift passage of House Bill (HB) No. 10800, or the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) after six weeks of intense budget hearings that shaped the proposed 2025 national budget.
POWER OF THE PURSE
In his sponsorship speech, Co underscored the budget’s importance as an exercise of Congress’ “power of the purse,” highlighting its critical role in addressing the needs of the Filipino people and driving the nation’s development.
“Bilang kinatawan ng taumbayan, tungkulin nating tiyakin na ang yaman ng pamahalaan ay nakatalaga nang wasto, patas, at mahusay (As representatives of the people, it’s our duty to ensure that the public’s coffers will be used judiciously, equally and efficiently),” he said.
“Walang pera ang maaaring gastusin mula sa kaban ng bayan nang labag sa batas, kaya’t mahalaga ang pagpasa ng GAB (No money can be spent from the public’s coffers illegally, that’s why it’s important to pass the GAB).”
Co said the proposed budget ensures the funding of public programs and projects, guaranteeing the delivery of essential services while supporting economic and social growth.
Key focus areas in the budget include human and social development, job creation, and improving the country’s infrastructure and governance.
Rep. Stella Quimbo, an economist, said the national budget is not just a collection of numbers but “a comprehensive plan to address the challenges faced by Filipino families every day.”
“I stand before you today, not just as a public servant, but as a fellow Filipino, fully aware of the daily challenges our people face — the high cost of basic needs, especially rice and electricity, to unforeseen events such as illness, death, and job loss that can easily push a family into poverty,” she said.
In addition to education and healthcare, Quimbo stressed the significance of the P211.3 billion allocation for the agriculture sector, aimed at ensuring food security by supporting farmers and ensuring sufficient, affordable food for all Filipinos.
She also noted that the P253.378 billion earmarked for social assistance programs under “ayuda,” are designed to support families in crisis.
OVP BUDGET
The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability announced it is set to hold an investigation into the OVP’s use of its annual national budget on Wednesday.
The panel chaired by Manila Rep. Joel Chua will look into the OVP’s expenditures after Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano delivered a privilege speech last week assailing the Vice President for “displaying bad manners and disrespecting our Constitution and democratic republic.”
Chua said his panel will hold an “initial deliberation and preliminary determination” in relation to Valeriano’s speech.
In his privilege speech, Valeriano said the Vice President mistakenly thought that she was above the law and could not be questioned by anyone, including Congress. He said Duterte even thought she had the power to replace the panel’s presiding officer, Quimbo.
He said the Vice President’s refusal to answer the questions of lawmakers on her use of confidential funds and other issues about her office’s budget proposal, is “cowardice.”
“Iyan ang nagdudumilat na katotohanang nasaksihan natin sa budget hearing. Takot sa mga lehitimong mga tanong ng taumbayan. (That’s the stinging truth that he saw during the budget hearing. She’s afraid of legitimate questions from the people),” Valeriano said.
Valeriano reminded his constituents and all Filipino voters that someone like Duterte, who is eyeing the presidency, does not deserve their trust, especially since she refuses to say how she spends public funds.
The lawmaker also insinuated that the Vice President is a supposed lackey of the Chinese government and its citizens who are behind the operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), which proliferated during the administration of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.
“Sino ba talaga ang boss at pinaglilingkuran niya? Baka naman ang boss niya ay humaharang sa bangka ng mga Pilipinong mangingisda o ang mga promotor ng POGO.
Ganyan ba ang asal ng ating Bise Presidente at nag-aambisyong maging Presidente? (Who is her boss, really? Maybe the ones blocking the boats of Filipino fishermen or those behind POGOs. Is that the way our Vice President, who is ambitioning to become president, acts?) We deserve better,” he said.
