Camille Naredo

Representative Zia Alonto Adiong joins the call for the House of Representatives to exercise its oversight powers and look into the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on August 22, 2022. Press and Public Affairs Bureau/File

Representative
Zia Alonto Adiong joins the call for the House of Representatives to exercise its oversight powers and look into the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on August 22, 2022. Press and Public Affairs Bureau (PPAB)

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CONGRESS-ERC

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173815778068320220822-congress-ERC-hearing-PPAB-1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Representative Zia Alonto Adiong joins the call for the House of Representatives to exercise its oversight powers and look into the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on August 22, 2022. Press and Public Affairs Bureau/File"/>Representative Zia Alonto Adiong joins the call for the House of Representatives to exercise its oversight powers and look into the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on August 22, 2022. Press and Public Affairs Bureau/File</div>MANILA — The move seeking to declare unconstitutional the 2025 General Appropriations Act is “tantamount to hostaging the budget”, according to House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairperson and Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong.“What they&#x27;re actually asking is tantamount to hostaging the budget, the operation of all the agencies in the government, all the bureaucracy in the government for 2025 operation,” he said.“If we work on a reenacted budget, that would be the worst case that would happen in 2025, because tumaas ang demand, tumaas ang lahat ng mga dapat na programa na ibibigay ng gobyerno,” Adiong explained.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/28/palace-too-soon-to-comment-on-sc-petition-vs-2025-budget-law-1503">READ: &#x27;Too soon&#x27; to comment on SC petition vs 2025 budget law -- Palace</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/28/lawmaker-denies-politics-as-motive-behind-petition-vs-2025-budget-1954">READ: Lawmaker denies politics as motive behind petition vs 2025 budget</a></div>Last Monday, Davao City 3rd District Representative Isidro Ungab and former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez filed before the Supreme Court a petition for certiorari and prohibition against the 2025 national budget. Rodriguez has denied that the move is meant to restore the more than P1 billion slashed from the funding for the Office of Vice President Sara Duterte.He and Ungab asserted that the ratified bicameral conference committee report on the 2025 national budget contained blank items. But Rodriguez pointed out that these were already filled out in the signed budget law.“That is criminal. That is falsification of legislative document. That is usurpation. Whoever that person maybe, is guilty of usurping the function of the legislative department of government,” he alleged.House Committee on Appropriations Acting Chairperson Representative Stella Quimbo said such allegation has no basis, reiterating that the budget process was above board.She explained that the adjustments in the ratified bicam report were “ministerial” and a mere “reporting” of the amounts already agreed on by the members of the bicam in the existing report. Quimbo stressed that the technical staff had “no discretion” in filling out the blanks with allocations.“Kung ang ginawa ay naglagay ng figures na on their own, at hindi pinag-usapan, ‘yun po ay mali, ‘yun po ay unconstitutional. Pero sinasabi ko po sa inyo, hindi ‘yun ang nangyari… Lahat po ay ayon sa reports na existing na po (02:10) makikita po natin na these are based on the Senate Committee Report, based din po sa HGAB. Actually, you will also see some of the figures in other portions of the bicam report itself, as well as bicam discussions. Ang Technical Secretariat had absolutely no discretion,” she said on Tuesday.“Para lang ‘yan gumawa ka ng schoolwork. (15:13) Pagka inuumpisahan mo ‘yan, nagiiwan ka pa ng blangko, pero ‘pag sinubmit mo na ‘yan sa teacher, syempre wala kang isinu-sumiteng may kahit anong blangko,” House Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Amparo Maria Zamora added.Ungab disputed Quimbo’s claims.“No, 28 blanks talaga ang nasa bicam report, which was signed and ratified by the plenary of both houses. The bicam report is supposed to be the only basis of the contents of the enrolled bill,” he told ABS-CBN News in a message.For 1-RIDER Party List Representative Rodge Gutierrez, the proper venue to finally settle such questions on the budget is the Supreme Court.“We&#x27;d like to see them give a proper judgment on that. And of course, we would follow our third branch of government,” he said.

The move seeking to declare unconstitutional the 2025 General Appropriations Act is “tantamount to hostaging the budget”, according to House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairperson and Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong.

The move seeking to declare unconstitutional the 2025 General Appropriations Act is “tantamount to hostaging the budget”, according to House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairperson and Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong.

Rep. Adiong says SC petition against 2025 GAA ‘tantamount to hostaging the budget’

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Rep. Adiong says SC petition against 2025 GAA ‘tantamount to hostaging the budget’

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 29, 2025 09:48 PM PHT

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House of Representatives

2025 GAA

national budget

Supreme Court

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