Leaders of the House of Representatives yesterday assured full compliance with the Supreme Court’s (SC) request for a copy of the enrolled bill on the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and the current year’s budget, expressing confidence that no irregularities will be found.
The SC made the request ahead of the preliminary conference on the case on Feb. 28, with oral arguments set for April 1 in Baguio City.
In a news release, House Assistant Majority Leaders Jude Acidre of Tingog Party-list and Jil Bongalon of Ako Bicol Party-list expressed confidence that the high court would not find any irregularities, contrary to the claim of those who questioned the budget enactment process.
“I stand by the regularity of the 2025 GAA (General Appropriations Act). It is above board. In fact, we welcome this initiative on the part of the Supreme Court to really require the copy of the enrolled bill,” Acidre said.
Bongalon echoed his confidence, stating that the SC’s review would disprove allegations that the budget was akin to a “blank check.”
Regarding the complaint of the petitioners that they could not obtain a copy of the bill from the House, Bongalon said they have to formally request it.
“But again, we are confident that even if we submit or send the original copies of the General Appropriations Act of 2025, including the encoded bill to the Supreme Court, nothing in those documents, we can see any blank items, especially the amounts that are being questioned,” he said.
Bongalon recalled that in one meeting of the House committee on appropriations, of which he is a vice chairman, some media persons asked to see a copy of the enrolled bill to check if it contained blank spaces intended for appropriations.
Asked if the enrolled bill contained any signatures, Bongalon said, “Wala ho. Kasi ‘yun yung, kumbaga, final copy before we transmit it to the Office of the President for his review, for his action.”
The petitioners challenging the budget’s validity are allies of former president Rodrigo Duterte, including Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab and former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez.
Meanwhile, House leaders denounced Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez’s call to suspend Speaker Martin Romualdez and other House officials over the alleged falsification of public documents, calling it an attempt to distract from the ongoing impeachment case against the Vice President.
“This is simply an effort to deflect attention from the impeachment process,” Acidre said