Alvarez called out for 'barely participating in budget hearings'

MANILA — A House leader on Tuesday called out Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez for “barely participating” in the hearings on the proposed 2025 national budget, and then filing a complaint before the Ombudsman on alleged issues surrounding the spending plan.

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Alvarez, a Duterte ally, was among the complainants who alleged that P241 billion was “inserted” in the 2025 enrolled General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

House Assistant Majority Leader and Taguig City 2nd District Representative Amparo Maria Zamora said the House leadership will “squarely face” the complaint.

“It's very ironic that Mr. Alvarez barely participated in the non-stop budget hearings that we've had for the 2025 budget, whether sa committee level or sa plenary. Wala naman siyang ni-raise na concern. Bilang assistant majority leader parati po akong nasa session floor, bihira ko po siyang nakita. So nandoon na po ‘yung chance sana na kung mayroon siyang sisilipin, mayroon siyang mga tanong, masasagot na sana noon pa,” she also pointed out.

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She added that House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who was among the respondents in the case, was "not even part of the bicam."

“Kung tungkol talaga sa bicam ang kanilang kaso, hindi po parte ng bicam ang Speaker,” Zamora said.

1-RIDER Party List Representative Rodge Gutierrez, meanwhile, raised questions on the individuals named as respondents in the complaint, and the venue where it was filed.

“It's just curious po on my part bakit ‘yun ‘yung venue na pinili nila. And then if you also look at the cast of characters… I understand the issue is bicam pero ‘yung House lang po ‘yung respondents,” he said.

"If the question is really in relation not to politics but to the law itself, shouldn't it have been filed before the Supreme Court regarding Rule 65?” Gutierrez asked. 

House Committee on Appropriations Acting Chairperson Rep. Stella Quimbo and Senate President Francis Escudero had explained that the ratified bicameral conference committee report contained an omnibus motion, which states that if there are changes between the report and the printed copy, the latter will prevail. 

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Quimbo also stressed that the value for the blanks in the bicam report were already determined by the bicameral conference committee and were part of existing documents.