FORMER President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte questioned over the weekend the validity of this year’s P6.326 trillion national budget amid claims that the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) was allegedly based on a “signed” bicameral conference committee report that included blank spaces or unspecified allocations for some agencies and programs of the government.
Duterte, in the episode of “Basta Dabawenyo Special Episode – 2025 Budget is Invalid?” that aired over the CM Baste Duterte YouTube Channel, said budget provisions are not like a signed blank check that could be filled up later on.
“Pagka-ganoon, there’s something terribly wrong… As a matter of fact, I would say kung may mga blangko ‘yan na lumusot, that is not a valid legislation ((When it’s like that, there’s something terribly wrong… As a matter of fact, I would say that it is not a valid legislation when it has blank provisions),” Duterte said.
“It’s not only inaccurate, but I think the budget, in totality, is invalid,” he added.
Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, in the same episode, alleged that several pages of the signed bicameral conference committee report, which was passed on December 11, 2024, included several pages with blank spaces for allocations for the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its attached agencies like the National irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).
Ungab said there were also blank spaces for other agencies, but did not say what offices.
The congressman said he was surprised when he saw the blank spaces on the bicameral report which prompted him to review the whole report.
He also said that the bicameral committee report signed by members of the Senate and the House of Representatives was different from the enrolled copy of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill that was transmitted to the Office of the President for review and signing because the blank spaces were already filled out before it was sent.
He could not say who filled out the blank spaces and when it was done.
Reacting to Ungab’s statements, Duterte said: “That is not allowed by law. I would like to remind Congress, mali po iyan. Please correct it or recall the budget and demand an explanation kung bakit dumating sa inyo yan ng ganoon ka-blangko. Parang binigyan ka ng blangkong tseke diyan [at] bahala na kayo ano ilagay ninyo, (That is not allowed by law. I would like to remind Congress that is wrong. Please correct it or recall the budget and demand an explanation why the budget copy that you received had blanks. It’s like you were given a blank check [and] it’s up to you what you want to write).”
Under the 2025 GAA, which President Marcos Jr. signed into law last December 30, NIA received a P69.368 billion allocation, while PCA received P1.2 billion.
Duterte said anyone who tampered with the budget could face criminal prosecution for falsification of law, perjury and forgery.
“It can only amount to one thing – criminal action. You can all go to jail for that,” he said.
He added that those responsible for coming out with the “signed” blank committee report as well as those who signed it should come out and explain why and how it happened.
Duterte said lawmakers should not mess with the people’s money or there would be chaos.
He also said those behind the alleged irregular budget entries must also be held accountable.
“Kung sinuman, they have to give us the explanation otherwise sabihin ko sa Pilipino, ‘huwag na kayong magbayad ng buwis ninyo’…puro tseke na blangko and they try to pass it a law and they are free to choose the amount they want to place (Whoever they are, they have to give us the explanation otherwise I will tell the Filipinos not to pay their taxes anymore. It’s like blank checks and they try to pass it as a law and they are free to choose the amount they want to place),” he said.
Duterte likewise warned that soldiers would disapprove of any move that would be deemed as sacrificing the country stealing the people’s money. He did not explain what he meant.
