Bersamin on supposed blank items in 2025 budget: 'Hindi kami ang mananagot diyan'

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said Friday that the Office of the President would not be held liable if the issue of the supposed blank items in the bicameral conference committee report on the 2025 national budget will be brought before the Supreme Court.

At a press briefing, Bersamin said he could not stop individuals who are planning to bring up the matter before the High Tribunal.

''Hindi ko mapipigilan si Cong. Ungab at saka 'yung mga similarly-minded people who would want to make a... put up a challenge,'' Bersamin said.

"Ang problema natin diyan is... Hindi kami ang mananagot diyan, kung mayroon mang pagkukulang sa bagay na iyan dahil bicam report iyan eh... wala kaming kinalaman sa bicam report...'' he added.

[I cannot prevent Cong. Ungab and other similarly-minded people who would want to put up a challenge. We cannot be held liable because we don't have a hand in the bicam report.]

Bersamin also urged the public to remove from their consciousness the idea that the Office of the President has something to do with the supposed blank pages.

''That is why we resented so much, iyong impression that the President was given a blank check, wala kaming kinalaman, internal sa Congress iyon (We have nothing to do with it, that's internal on the part of the Congress). And that is why, we will respect the boundaries by not commenting kung sino iyong to be blamed for now. But, I’m sure that we did not benefit at all from the blank spaces that are being peddled around,'' he said.

Speculative

Still, Bersamin said it is still speculative to make further comments on the matter. He added that the OP camp has yet to know the complexion of the legal challenges, if any.

''We are just receiving these from the media that there will be challenges. But until we see the actual complexion of those whatever challenge may be mounted, it is speculative for us to say or comment on any of them,'' he said.

Bersamin, a former Chief Justice, further stressed that the SC would never stop the budget from being implemented.

''I cannot understand if the Supreme Court will have that tendency to put a stop to it even if any of those challengers will ask for a TRO because the government function must be run,'' he said.

''Now, sasabihin nila [they will say], full back on the re-enacted budget, but the re-enacted budget can come only when there is a finding that it has been vetoed or the Supreme Court has nullified the present budget. But that is yet to be in the end of the year or maybe when this resolution of these challenges will have been delivered,'' he added.

Revisions

For her part, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman reiterated how revisions may still be made to the P6.326-trillion national budget, such as augmentation, savings, unprogrammed appropriations and the use of the President's contingent fund.

''Ito po, mga new projects and urgent projects, puwede pong i-request ito ng mga department heads natin. Of course, we will ask for necessary documentation. Again, Office of the President lang din po ang mag-a-approve ng contingent fund. Iyong tatlo lang po na iyon ang puwede nating gamitin,'' Pangandaman said.

[New projects and urgent projects, department heads can request these. Of course, we will ask for necessary documentation. Again, only the Office of the President can approve the contingent fund. Those three are what we can do.]

At this early, Bersamin said the country already has savings due to the vacant positions, which already have allocated funds.

''Yes, of course, because there are many vacant positions na nagkaroon na ng allocation sa budget ‘no. Pero if they are unfilled January, they become savings for the month until na magkaroon ng occupant of that office. Iyong suweldo doon, savings iyon, technically speaking,'' he said.

Earlier, senatorial aspirant Vic Rodriguez disclosed that some lawyers are looking to bring before the Supreme Court the issue of the supposed blank items in the bicameral conference committee report in this year's budget.

Rodriguez, who previously served as executive secretary of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., said he expects the Marcos administration to answer to the alleged discrepancies in the 2025 budget, which he described as “unconstitutional.” — RSJ GMA News Online