Elizaldy Co bows out as House appropriations chair amid health concerns

MANILA, Philippines — Rep. Elizaldy Co (Ako Bicol Party-list) stepped down as chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, a position declared vacant by the lower chamber on Monday, January 13.

As Congress resumed session, Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos (Ilocos Norte, 1st District) moved to declare the appropriations panel’s chairperson seat vacant.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the president’s cousin, presided over the motion and officially declared it vacant after hearing no objections.

“Mr. Speaker, I move to declare vacant the position of the Committee on Appropriations,” Marcos said

“There’s a motion. Chair hears no objection. Said motion is carried,” Romualdez said. 

Co explained that he resigned from his chairmanship due to “pressing health concerns,” citing the “demanding nature” of the role, which he said has already “taken its toll.”

“I now need to prioritize seeking the medical attention necessary for my well-being,” he said in a statement.  

The appropriations committee is responsible for deliberating on government budget allocations, including positions, salaries, allowances and personnel benefits. It also oversees matters related to government expenditures.

The panel's members, particularly its chair and vice chairpersons, serve on the bicameral conference committee tasked to finalize the annual national budget before it is signed or vetoed by the president.

Co has served as the sponsor of the national budget since 2023, with his most recently sponsoring the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), which faced widespread public criticism.

Criticized for AKAP budget

Some of the issues include the zero budget subsidy for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), the relatively similar budgets for education at P1.056 trillion and infrastructure at 1.034 trillion, and the P26 billion allocated for the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP).

Co has consistently defended AKAP, dismissing claims that its funds resemble pork barrel and are used by lawmakers to secure votes through donations.

AKAP, a program under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), provides one-time cash assistance of P3,000 to P5,000 to impoverished beneficiaries.

To address the concerns, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued some guidelines for AKAP and 27 other social welfare programs to prevent candidates in the 2025 midterm elections from exploiting them for political gain.

Tensions with VP Sara

Co was also outspoken in his criticism of Vice President Sara Duterte’s use of confidential and intelligence funds during the budget hearings for her office’s 2025 budget.

Under his term as appropriations chair, the Office of the Vice President’s 2025 budget was slashed to P733.2 million, down from the requested P2.026 billion. 

The remaining P1.293 billion was realigned to programs of the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Duterte alleged that Co was part of a conspiracy against her and her office during the 2024 budget hearings. 

This claim followed Co and his committee's questioning of the P73 million in confidential funds spent in just 11 days in December 2022, which the Commission on Audit disallowed or deemed inappropriate. 

Co suggested the possibility of corruption, comparing it to the pork barrel scam case involving Janet Lim-Napoles, who was convicted of graft and malversation.

With the appropriations chair position now vacant, House rules state that the next highest-ranking vice-chairperson will assume the chairperson's duties until a new one is appointed. 

The proposed replacement, to be recommended by the majority or minority leader, must be approved by House members during the plenary.