Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 17) — Members of the minority defied the House of Representatives’ tradition to extend parliamentary courtesy to former member and now Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian as they pushed to interpellate his department’s 2024 budget during Thursday’s plenary session.
After Gatchalian’s presentation of the proposed ₱207 billion budget for the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)—a 5.44% increase from last year—House Committee on Appropriations vice chair Ronald Singson moved to terminate the briefing.“Tradition and practice of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Appropriations to extend parliamentary courtesy to former members appointed to Cabinet positions in his first year to present the budget of his or her department,” Singson said.“May I move that we terminate the budget briefing of the DSWD and its attached agencies?” he added.Gatchalian was former Valenzuela City 1st District representative who served under the 14th Congress in 2007.ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro objected to the motion of skipping over the interpellation process due to tradition.
“Although we respect the tradition of the House, ito lang po ‘yong pagkakataon na may panahon tayong magtanong (this is the only opportunity where we can ask),” Castro said.
“Sana magampanan naman natin ‘yong trabaho natin…So kung wini-waive ng majority ‘yong chance nila magtanong, ‘yong minority we have [questions],” she added.
[Translation: I hope we can do our job…If the majority waives their chance to ask, the minority has questions.]Appropriations vice chair Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong allowed the minority to deliberate with members of the DSWD, despite the majority members’ support to skip deliberations. Castro and members of the minority, including OFW Party-list Rep. Marissa Magsino, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel, and Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, proceeded to ask Gatchalian about the DSWD’s main programs.Issues tackled include the delisting of some Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries, the stance of National Anti-Poverty Commission’s on raising taxes and its impact on poor families, and the implementation of the food stamp program.
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Gatchalian assured the members of the minority that the data and documents they sought would be provided by the DSWD.After interpellation from only the minority and a few short manifestations in support of the proposed budget from other representatives, the House moved to terminate the briefing.
During the budget deliberations for 2023, members of the House previously waived their right to interpellate the Department of Education’s proposed allocation “out of respect and courtesy” to Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte who attended the hearing.
