House won't tolerate evasion, hypocrisy of agencies during 2025 budget deliberations

The House of Representatives will not tolerate hypocrisy and evasion from agencies during the plenary deliberations on the proposed P6.352 trillion national budget for 2025, Speaker Martin Romualdez said Monday.

“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. 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,” Romualdez said.

“Hindi maaaring magturo ng daliri ang may sariling kasalanan. Sa harap ng Kongreso, lahat ay dadaan sa tamang proseso, at walang makakatakas sa pananagutan,” he added.

(You can’t point a finger when you are the one to blame. The budget deliberations will follow due process, and nobody will be able to escape accountability here.)

The Speaker issued the warning as the House started its deliberations on proposed 2025 national budget and three days after the chamber decided to cut the proposed P2 billion budget of the Office of Vice President (OVP) by P1.29 billion due to the refusal of Vice President Sara Duterte to answer the questions of the lawmakers.

Romualdez then said that the House will continue to uphold transparency and accountability by ensuring that every government expenditure is scrutinized and aligned with national priorities.

“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.

“Ang pera ng bayan ay hindi para sa pansariling pakinabang ng iilan. Tungkulin natin na tiyakin na bawat piso ay ginagamit para sa kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan,” he added.

(The taxpayers' money is not for the personal benefit of some. It is our duty to ensure that every peso is spent for the good of the people.)

Subject to further discussions

House appropriations panel senior vice chairperson and Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo earlier stressed that the P1.29-billion cut was a mere recommendation from the House appropriations panel since the proposed budget for OVP would still undergo plenary debates and will be deliberated by the Senate.

She also said that once the House and Senate approve their respective versions of the proposed 2025 budget, members of both Houses will still convene in a bicameral conference committee to reconcile the differing provisions of their approved versions, if not introduce new amendments.

"Then after that, it will still be subject to the President’s approval. And the President can veto line items. That is how long the budget process is," Quimbo said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News