Former Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Wendel Avisado urged the House of Representatives (HoR) on Friday to explain the blanks in the Bicameral Conference Committee report for the Filipinos to understand.
“Wala akong sinasabi ng anuman sa mga members ng Bicameral Conference Committee but I think it behooves of them to explain their side kasi sila yung nag-approve at sila yung pumirma ng enrolled bill and it was duly certified as correct signed by the Speaker of the House and the Senate President, that is the proof na ni-ratify na. But still and all, the question persists. Kung ganon pala na may mga blanko, ano ang nangyari at nagkaroon ng kompleto na enrolled bill? So yung gap na iyon ipaliwanag sa mga taumbayan para maunawaan nila,” Avisado said during the Basta Dabawenyo podcast.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte and Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab claimed last week that at least 13 pages of the Bicam report have items with blank appropriations.
Despite the furor over the blanks Ungab exposed on the bicam report, Speaker Martin Romualdez remains uncharacteristically silent.
Ungab showed documents and revealed that some figures in the bicam report were missing like in the Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) wherein the budget for the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) were not indicated.
Ungab said he would challenge before the Supreme Court (SC) the supposed blank items in the Bicam report that were filled in on the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Avisado believes that there was an order to fill in the blanks in the Bicam report.
“May mga blanko doon sa Bicameral Conference Committee report at hindi maipaliwanag kung paanong nakarating o nangyari na nagkaroon na ng mga figures o filling of the blanks. Merong gumawa nun at kung sino man hindi natin alam. Meron nag-utos at kung sino man yun hindi rin natin alam. Kasi it takes two to tango, kung ako technical staff, hindi ko fi-fillapan yun kung walang nagsasabi sa akin na mas mataas sa akin,” he added.
Avisado said at that point and time the HoR found a way to not reach the issue in this situation where there are so many questions regarding the 2025 national budget.
He also said that if Congress will not explain Filipinos will tend to believe that something really unscrupulous is going on.
“Tayo ba naman kapwa Pilipino maglokohan pa tayo? Naghihirap na nga tayong lahat at nagsisikap na tayong lahat tapos hindi pa natin mapabuti at mapaayos yung pagpapatakbo ng ating gobyerno? These are questions that I hope those in power will find time to really explain to the people. Here comes a raging issue that really needs clear answer from the government. My take is that the government must respond if they will not then it will be their own doing,” Avisado said.
