MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senate President Francis Escudero maintained on Wednesday that the bicameral conference committee report on the national budget for 2025 that he signed had no blank items.
Speaking to reporters in a press conference, Escudero said Rep. Isidro Ungab should have known better since he served as a former chair of the House of Representatives鈥� committee on appropriations, making him fully aware of the budget processes.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand the complaint, he used to be the chairman of the appropriations panel, he knows the policy and he knows the budget process. There are other lawyers who are complaining about this but this is what I know, there is no bicameral conference committee report that was declared unconstitutional. No committee report has been declared unconstitutional. In fact, no one has ever been sued in Court to declare a committee report or bicameral conference committee report unconstitutional. What can be declared unconstitutional is a law,鈥� said Escudero.
READ: Marcos slams Duterte 鈥榣ies鈥� on items in budget law
In the same presser, the Senate chief was pressed to disclose whether or not the bicameral conference committee report he signed has blank items, to which he answered none.
He likewise noted that he does not know about the circulating copy of a bicam report for the 2025 national funding supposedly showing blank items.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know. I鈥檒l repeat, he鈥檚 the one who released it, he鈥檚 the one who explained it. Honestly, I don鈥檛 know what he鈥檚 saying and implying, but I鈥檒l repeat, whatever committee report he鈥檚 presenting or the alleged bicameral conference committee report, it鈥檚 just what was forwarded to me by one of our colleagues in the media鈥揑 don鈥檛 see my signature on it so I don鈥檛 know what it is,鈥� said Escudero.
He also explained that if there are differences between the bicameral conference committee report and the General Appropriations Act (GAA), then it is the latter that will be used and followed.
鈥淲hat will be followed is the GAA. The GAA鈥檚 enrolled bill,鈥� said Escudero.
鈥淭he signed version of the law by the President, the leader of the House and Senate and the Secretary General of both Houses. That is what will govern. Now if there is anything missing, it is only right that it be questioned or if something is released because it is fill in the blanks afterwards, it is only right not to release it and not to allow it to be released but not on any basis in a committee report like I said,鈥� he emphasized.
But what was the intent of alleging such? Escudero believes that the approaching elections might have contributed to this.
鈥淭he political color is very bright right now and maybe in the coming days, let鈥檚 not be surprised by more stories, attacks or criticisms like this because it seems they have already drawn a line in the sand as to who is on the left, who is on the right, who is on the red and who is on the white,鈥� said Escudero.
President Marcos himself already belied the allegations surrounding the 2025 budget. Apart from Ungab, former President Rodrigo Duterte likewise alleged that there were blank items in the 2025 budget bill.
鈥淗e鈥檚 lying. He鈥檚 a [former] President, he knows that you cannot pass a GAA with a blank,鈥� Marcos told reporters then.