House urged to open bicam hearings on national budget to the public
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House urged to open bicam hearings on national budget to the public
MANILA — Congressmen from the Makabayan bloc urged the House of Representatives to open to the public and the media all bicameral conference committee hearings and documents on the national budget, starting with the General Appropriations Bill for 2025.
MANILA — Congressmen from the Makabayan bloc urged the House of Representatives to open to the public and the media all bicameral conference committee hearings and documents on the national budget, starting with the General Appropriations Bill for 2025.
They filed House Resolution 2067, which seeks to direct the House Committee on Rules to formulate the necessary amendments to he Rules of the House to institutionalize the reform.
They filed House Resolution 2067, which seeks to direct the House Committee on Rules to formulate the necessary amendments to he Rules of the House to institutionalize the reform.
“Transparency in budget deliberations is crucial in enabling citizen participation in governance, ensuring that public funds are appropriated in accordance with the people’s needs and interests,” Representatives France Castro, Arlene Brosas and Raoul Manuel said.
“Transparency in budget deliberations is crucial in enabling citizen participation in governance, ensuring that public funds are appropriated in accordance with the people’s needs and interests,” Representatives France Castro, Arlene Brosas and Raoul Manuel said.
“The lack of transparency in Bicameral Conference Committee proceedings has enabled the insertion in the budget law of provisions that were not in the versions approved by either House, and oftentimes not even discussed in the deliberations of either House, effectively circumventing proper legislative scrutiny,” they explained.
“The lack of transparency in Bicameral Conference Committee proceedings has enabled the insertion in the budget law of provisions that were not in the versions approved by either House, and oftentimes not even discussed in the deliberations of either House, effectively circumventing proper legislative scrutiny,” they explained.
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“This 'Third Chamber' practice of introducing new provisions during bicameral conference meetings undermines the democratic process and violates the principle that conference committees should limit themselves to reconciling differences between the two chambers' versions. In effect, the closed-door 'Third House' overrules the decisions of the Lower House and the Senate, which are public as mandated by the Constitution,” the Makabayan congressmen added.
“This 'Third Chamber' practice of introducing new provisions during bicameral conference meetings undermines the democratic process and violates the principle that conference committees should limit themselves to reconciling differences between the two chambers' versions. In effect, the closed-door 'Third House' overrules the decisions of the Lower House and the Senate, which are public as mandated by the Constitution,” the Makabayan congressmen added.
“Public access to the proceedings of bicameral conference committees will serve as a deterrent against questionable insertions and ensure that discussions remain within the scope of reconciling legitimate differences between the House and Senate versions,” they noted.
“Public access to the proceedings of bicameral conference committees will serve as a deterrent against questionable insertions and ensure that discussions remain within the scope of reconciling legitimate differences between the House and Senate versions,” they noted.
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