Imee asks Bongbong to scrutinize 2025 budget bill amid AKAP, other 'mysterious' items

Senator Imee Marcos has urged her brother, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to make a thorough review of the Congress-crafted 2025 national budget bill amid "mysterious items."

Marcos made the call as she questioned several provisions of the final version of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), including the controversial Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program or AKAP, zero subsidy for Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and the increase in the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways to P1.1 trillion.

"Ang akin na lang ngayon, nananawagan na lang ako sa aking kapatid. Kung mahina ang boses ko na mag-isa, ngayon nawa marinig na sama-samang sumama ang ating taumbayan...I-line by line niya. Nasa kanya na lamang pag-asa na hindi tanggalin 'yung mahahalaga," Marcos said.

(I am calling on my brother to remedy this budget bill. I hope he will review it line by line because he is the only one who can make sure that it contains the administration's priorities.)

"Nung nag-SONA ang ating Pangulong Bongbong, nagsabi siya ng mga proyektong dapat unahin. Ngayon sinusuway ka ng mga taong akala mo makakabuti para sa'yo at sa bayan. Eh 'yun pala tinutulan lahat ng priority mo. Naku kaya nananawagan ako sa Palasyo pakitutukan na ang mga issue at pondo ng budget," she added.

(When President Bongbong delivered his SONA, he enumerated the projects that should be prioritized. Right now, he is not being followed by the people whom he thought that would help him and the country. They were objecting to your priorities. That is why I am calling on the Palace to look at these issues and these budgetary items.)

Marcos, who said she did not sign the bicameral conference committee report which contained the final version of the national budget, lamented the reduction in the budget of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) while billions were allocated for AKAP-- a newly introduced program supposedly for near-poor households under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

"Sa DSWD, biglang umappear na naman itong AKAP at saka tinanggalan ang 4.4 million Filipinos na nasa 4Ps… Tanggal ang P50 billion," Marcos, sponsor of DSWD budget in the Senate, said.

(AKAP appeared again in the final budget for DSWD and the P50-billion budget for the 4.4 million Filipinos under the 4Ps was removed.)

The lawmaker noted that AKAP was not part of the National Expenditure Program (NEP) or the budget proposal sent by the President to Congress.

"Sabi ko 'Asan ang AKAP dito?' Wala akong nababasa… Ayos na, at least naintindihan ko hindi 'yan prayoridad ng Pangulo at hindi naman binanggit sa SONA... Pagdating sa bicam version sabi 'yung AKAP naibalik at may areglo na sa Senado. There is an arrangement? Anong arrangement 'yan? Bawal 'yan sa batas. Wala ba kayong takot?" she quipped.

(When I looked at the NEP, I looked for the budget for AKAP. There's none and it was not mentioned in the President's SONA. So I thought it is not the priority of the President. After the bicam, the budget for AKAP was restored and it was said that there was an arrangement with the Senate. There is an arrangement? What is that arrangement? That is prohibited under the law. Aren't you afraid?)

To recall, the House of Representatives allotted P39 billion for AKAP under its version of the GAB, but it was deleted entirely under the Senate version.

Despite the Senate's previous decision, the bicameral body decided to restore funds for AKAP but lower than the previous proposal of the House at P26 billion.

While Marcos said she is not opposing AKAP as long as it has guidelines, she warned that this could be used for politics, considering that 2025 is an election year.

"Ang sagwa eh ang dami daming reklamo. Election year pa naman. Nagkakaroon lalo ng duda kung ano ba talaga 'yan, vote buying ba 'yan?" she asked.

(It's inappropriate and there were a lot of complaints about the AKAP program. There are a lot of doubts on that program, especially that 2025 is an election year. Will that be used for vote buying?)

"'Yung 4Ps isipin mo halos five million ang masi-zero dahil P50 billion ang tanggal. Tama ba 'yun?... 'Yan (4Ps beneficiaries) talaga siguradong poorest of the poor, hindi 'yung 'political poor' or kung sino man 'yan," she went on.

(The 4Ps has five million beneficiaries who are vetted to be poorest of the poor, not 'political poor' and yet the P50 billion for that program was removed.)

Marcos also underscored that the budget allocation for 4Ps is provided under the law just like the annual subsidy for PhilHealth.

"Di ako pumirma sa papel...Ayoko magsulong ng batas na nagbabawas ng pera sa mga lehitimong project para lang sa AKAP, para lamang sa kung anu-anong misteryo. Baka naman may himala diyan," she said.

(I did not sign the bicam report. I don't want to support a law that is removing funds for legitimate projects just to accommodate AKAP and other mysterious items.)

"Wag naman i-zero 'yung PhilHealth. 'Yung flood control, wala na parang tinanggal na noon. Eh nasa P1.1 trillion daw 'yung public works [budget]...'Yung feasibility study ng flood control blangko raw. Asan daw 'yung flood control mismo? Eh hindi pa raw nila alam," she added.

The Senate and the House of Representatives have ratified the 2025 GAB last week.

The final version of the budget bill will be sent to Malacañang for the President's review.

Under the Constitution, the President could veto provisions of the budget bill.—AOL, GMA Integrated News