Speaker Martin Romualdez on Monday warned concerned public officials that the House of Representatives “will not tolerate hypocrisy, evasion, or the misuse of public funds.”
In his remarks at the opening of plenary deliberations on the proposed P6.352-trillion national budget, he stressed that the incumbent House leadership has taken a “zero-tolerance approach” toward those who undermine accountability while conveniently ignoring their malfeasance.
He told his colleagues, “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 vowed.
“Those who have committed wrongdoings cannot deflect by pointing fingers at others. In Congress, everyone will go through the process, and no one will escape responsibility,” the Speaker said in Filipino.
Romualdez emphasized that the House has long upheld the principles of transparency and accountability, ensuring that expenditures are scrutinized with precision and aligned with national priorities.
“Public money is not for personal gain of a few. It is our duty to ensure that every peso is used for the welfare of our countrymen,” he noted.
“No one can escape our scrutiny. We are the voice and eyes of the people, and in their name, we will guard against abuse and corruption,” he added.
The Speaker did not directly refer to any particular individual however it is widely believed that he was alluding to officials the lower chamber has been investigating for apparent misuse or incompetent management of public funds.
Meanwhile, the Committee on Appropriations formally endorsed the proposed P6.352 trillionhigh-impact national budget for 2025 to the plenary, kicking off crucial debates on the government’s fiscal priorities for the coming year.
Panel chair Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co and senior vice chair Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo rallied their colleagues to prioritize the swift passage of House Bill 10800, or the General Appropriations Bill, following six weeks of intense budget.
In his sponsorship speech, Co underscored the budget’s importance as an exercise of Congress’s “power of the purse,” highlighting its critical role in addressing the needs of the Filipino people and driving the nation’s development.
“As representatives of the people, it is our duty to ensure that government resources are properly, fairly, and efficiently allocated. We fulfill our sworn duty to serve the people,” he said.
As this developed, the Senate leadership touted that in just a little over 30 session days, they managed to pass 12 priority measures of President Marcos.
“We acted with urgency on the priority measures of the President, which were also part of the common legislative agenda of both chambers of Congress. Again, this is more about the quality of laws rather than quantity. These are high-impact laws that Malacañang and Congress agreed upon to prioritize,” Senate President Francis Escudero said.
These key measures, he said, will improve the investment climate of the country, strengthen its territorial and maritime claims, and improve the competitiveness of Filipinos.
“During this period, we even had to deal with work stoppages due to weather disturbances, as well as national holidays. Nevertheless, we made sure that we were able to dispose of the matters before us, with the support of all our members,” he pointed out.
Escudero noted that nine of the 12 bills are up for signing by the President, three are awaiting action at the bicameral conference committee level, and one is up for approval by the Lower House.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Romualdez: House to hold public officials fully accountable in use of public funds.”
