Solon, watchdog: Waive parliamentary courtesy for full presidential budget scrutiny
Metro Manila, Philippines - House Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio and a watchdog have challenged Malacañang and the House appropriations panel to waive parliamentary courtesy for the full budget scrutiny of the office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Tinio and the Bantay Budget Network’s call on Sunday, Sept. 7, came after the Palace criticized some House members for what it described as an attempt “to shift the blame for their own corruption and failures.”
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Tinio said Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and the administration should welcome the review of the Office of the President’s (OP) budget if they have nothing to hide.
"Paalala kay Pres. Marcos Jr. responsibilidad niya ang taunang pambansang badyet dahil siya ang nagpropose, siya ang nag-utos na madaliin (certified as urgent), siya ang pumirma at nag-apruba at siya rin ang nagpatupad nito. Di siya pwedeng magmalinis," Tinio said.
[Translation: A reminder to Pres. Marcos Jr., he is responsible for the yearly national budget because he is the one who proposes it, certifies it as urgent, signs and approves it, and implements it. He cannot come clean.]
“Hindi pwedeng mag-claim ng innocence ang administrasyong ito sa corruption na nangyayari under their watch," the ACT Teachers party-list representative added.
[Translation: The administration cannot claim innocence on the corruption that happened under their watch.]
Meanwhile, Bantay Budget Network Convenor Liza Maza appealed to the House appropriations committee to comb through the OP’s budget.
"Parliamentary courtesy was never meant to be a cloak of immunity for those who plunder public funds. Ang tradisyong ito ay ginagamit na ngayon upang protektahan ang mga corrupt na opisyal sa halip na maglingkod sa transparency,” Maza said.
[Translation: This tradition is being used to protect corrupt officials instead of serving transparency.]
"By invoking parliamentary courtesy to shield the Office of the President from scrutiny, Congress becomes an enabler of the very corruption the Filipino people are demanding an end to," she added.
Tinio and Maza said the administration should address queries on confidential and intelligence funds and the “bloated” presidential trip budgets, among other issues.
During previous budget panel hearings, the OP’s funding was approved in a breeze as lawmakers cite parliamentary courtesy, skipping the scrutiny of the listed items.
The House appropriations panel is set to deliberate the OP’s budget on Monday, Sept. 8. Marcos will be absent from the hearing as he is bound for Cambodia for a state visit.
