Makabayan bloc vows to keep watch on final look of 'railroaded' 2024 budget

MANILA, Philippines — After an eleventh-hour assurance from ranking House lawmakers to realign Vice President Sara Duterte’s confidential funds, the Makabayan bloc has vowed to scrutinize whether this and other suggested amendments would make it into the actual proposed budget.

The minority lawmakers stressed that the expedited passage of the national budget in the lower chamber — which was passed on second and final reading on the same day — effectively eroded the transparency of the budget process.

During a press conference Friday, Rep. Raoul Manuel (Kabataan Partylist) said that the version of the budget bill that House approved on final reading had yet to contain the actual amendments proposed by House leaders regarding Duterte’s confidential funds.

“Even if (House leaders) said they would realign the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the DEpartment of Education to agencies involved in defending the West Philippine Sea, to be honest, these are still just words,” Manuel said in Filipino. 

“What the House approved is the exact same proposal transmitted by Malacanang without any changes,” Manuel said, adding that this was the reason the Makabayan lawmakers refused to vote for the measure.

The House had left it up to a “small committee” of lawmakers to finalize the changes to the budget proposal. This includes realigning the controversial secret funds of two Duterte-led offices: the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, which total P650 million.

The members of the panel are House appropriations chairperson Rep. Elizaldy Co (Ako Bicol Party-list), House appropriations senior vice chairperson Rep. Stella Quimbo (Marikina City), House Majority Leader Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe (Zamboanga City) and House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan (4Ps Partylist). 

Quimbo said on Friday that ten agencies have already been included in the small committee's ongoing "rationalization" of confidential and intelligence funds, according to a News5 report.

The proposal to remove Duterte’s confidential funds was also supported by Speaker Martin Romualdez, who said that the decision was meant to “correct any mix-ups and allay public concerns regarding this issue.”

Rep. Arlene Brosas (Gabriela Women’s Party) said that the Makabayan bloc’s amendments will focus on redirecting funds to social services, poverty alleviation programs and education.

“For example, (additional funds) for social protection programs, additional budget for the Council for the Welfare of Children, the Juvenile Justice Council, budget for reproductive health, the return of funds for solo parents' cash subsidy, budget for labor laws and programs, additional budget for immediate assistance and relief for overseas Filipino workers, and production subsidy for farmers and fisherfolk, among others,” Brosas enumerated.

Manuel added that it would be “unacceptable” for confidential and intelligence funds to be kept in any agency.

“It's unacceptable if excessive travel funds, bloated big-ticket infrastructure funding, presidential pork, and vice-presidential pork in the form of confidential and intelligence funds remain, which other agencies have also adopted, as well as the questionable allocation of funds for NTF-ELCAC projects, with a doubtful list of beneficiary barangays,” the lawmaker said.

“Those should be reallocated directly to education and other services,” he added.