Push Admin

Davao City Rep. Ungab out as House appropriations committee chair

Article (news)

RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

MANILA - The one-time bet of Paolo and Inday Sara Duterte for the House Speakership of the 18th Congress was unseated Monday as chair of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations amid talks of a looming coup against Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab was replaced by ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Yap, upon the approval by the full House of the nomination made by Senior Deputy Majority Leader Jesus Crispin Remulla.Yap, an ally of Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte in the National Unity Party, assumes chairmanship of the committee that prepares the annual national budget.Rep. Joseph Sto. Nino Bernos, meanwhile, takes over the chairmanship of the Games and Amusements Committee which Yap used to head.In a press conference, Yap said he had no prior knowledge about the changes and was only informed when he arrived at the House of Representatives on Monday.Yap, who was part of the bicam in the 2020 budget, said he did not get to talk to Ungab and had not seen him yet.“Wala ako idea ano nangyari. Hindi kasi ako active sa news. Kanina, pagkapunta ko, kinausap ako ni Speaker tungkol sa trabaho, sa responsibility... Siyempre, kumbaga ako, nagtatrabaho lang dito. Kung ano naman i-utos sa akin, gagawin ko lang po,&quot; he said.(I had no idea what happened because I&#x27;m not actively monitoring the news. When I arrived earlier, the Speaker talked to me about work, the responsibility... Of course, I&#x27;m just a worker. So, whatever I&#x27;m told to do, I just do it.)Yap said even Rep. Duterte, whom he confirmed as his friend, was surprised by the development. But he said he doesn&#x27;t think his close relations with the presidential son was what got him the job. Rep. Duterte doesn&#x27;t meddle in politics as the president&#x27;s son just attends to work, Yap said.&quot;Magkaibigan kami before pa nitong politics, politika sa Congress. Private pa ako, magkaibigan na kami. Kasi si Cong. Duterte, hindi kasi siya mahilig makialam sa mga ganun sa Congress. Trabaho lang din siya. Kung ano kailangan ng constituent niya, inaasikaso niya. Kung ano &#x27;yung bills na prority, mine-make sure niya napapasa. &#x27;Yun yung nakikita ko sa kaniya sa Kongreso,&quot; he explained.Remulla, meanwhile, successfully secured the election of Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo to replace Oriental Mindoro Rep. Doy Leachon as head of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal. Salo, a Cayetano ally, and Leachon, an ally of Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, figured in a word war with other lawmakers over the alleged coup against the incumbent Speaker. Cayetano accused Velasco of working for his ouster ahead of their agreed timeline to turn over the House leadership in October, based on their term-sharing agreement brokered by President Rodrigo Duterte.Salo also said he wanted to prosecute those who reported that athletes were served kikiam during last year&#x27;s Southeast Asian Games, calling them purveyors of fake news.Ungab was chair of the Appropriations Committee in the 16th Congress under President Benigno Aquino III. Before that, he was a long-time Davao City councilor under then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.Ungab’s removal comes after reports that congressmen are restive over a Budget department circular that classifies funds for congressmen’s projects for later release and subject to certain conditions.The Department of Budget and Management’s National Budget Circular 578, dated January 6, 2020, is supposedly causing restiveness among congressmen because it will delay the release of their projects under the 2020 Budget.Cayetano had said that the ABS-CBN franchise and issues over the 2020 budget are being used by those seeking to oust him from the Speakership.

The one-time bet of Paolo and Inday Sara Duterte for the House Speakership of the 18th Congress was unseated Monday as chair of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations amid talks of a looming coup against Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.

The one-time bet of Paolo and Inday Sara Duterte for the House Speakership of the 18th Congress was unseated Monday as chair of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations amid talks of a looming coup against Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.

Davao City Rep. Ungab out as House appropriations committee chair

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

News

Davao City Rep. Ungab out as House appropriations committee chair

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 02, 2020 06:08 PM PHT

|

Updated Mar 02, 2020 06:38 PM PHT

Read More:

House of Representatives

Isidro Ungab

Eric Yap

Alan Peter Cayetano

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.