Hugpong ng Pagbabago says Ungab ouster an 'affront' to Duterte

MANILA - The Sara Duterte-led Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) on Wednesday said the removal of Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab from the leadership of the House Committee on Appropriations was an affront to President Rodrigo Duterte, whom HNP claimed handpicked Ungab for the job.

In in response to House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s statement that Ungab’s removal is not an attack to HNP, HNP said President Duterte never ordered the removal of Ungab.

“He was specifically chosen by President Duterte as chairman of the committee and the last time we checked, the President never ordered the removal of Ungab. If anything, the removal was an insult and affront to the President — and not the party," HNP said in a statement.

HNP maintained it does not want to spar with Cayetano.

“We want to sit and watch his show," it added.

HNP also clarified that that it never claimed that the removal of Ungab was an affront to the the party.

"Nowhere in our first statement did we say that the removal of Cong. Isidro Ungab as chairperson of the Committee on Appropriations was an attack on HNP. The party emphasized our support for the credibility and honor of our member. We are loyal to those who are loyal to the President," it said.

In his own statement, Ungab confirmed there were insertions in the 2020 national budget made during the proceedings of the bicameral conference committee on the general appropriations bill.

“Yes I confirm there were insertions that did not pass through the process of the committee on Appropriations. These were projects inserted during the bicameral conference committee," Ungab said.

Ungab, however, stood by the Budget Department Memorandum circular that classified Congress-initiated expenditures as for later release.

"I believe however, that the Affirmation Message of the President as well as National Budget Circular 578 is a good remedy that addressed those insertions, considering that projects or increases inserted by congress will undergo further evaluation or justification by the agencies concerned before these projects will be released," he said.

Ungab explained that the memo would have only allowed release of funds upon the fulfillment of certain conditions.

“I held my position as chair of the Appropriations committee, knowing fully well to whom I am accountable, and that is to the Filipino people. With the President's Affirmation Message and DBM's Budget Citcular 578, specifying the requirements needed for these bicam insertions plus the expertise of the DBM personnel in the budget process, I know that these set conditions for implementation will safeguard public funds, ensure accountability of the project implementors and guarantee that the projects are aligned with the priorities of the national government," he said.

Cayetano has admitted that the DBM memo played into Ungab’s removal from his powerful position.

Ungab was a long-time Davao City councilor prior to becoming congressman. He chaired the same panel during the last half of the Noynoy Aquino administration.

According to Cayetano, the DBM memo went into the working relationship the leadership had with Ungab, which he cited as mainly the reason for Ungab’s exit.