Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Bebot Alvarez and Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) senatorial candidate Jimmy Bondoc, together with non-government organization Citizens Crime Watch, bared plans to file criminal charges against House Speaker Martin Romualdez, former House Appropriations Committee Chairman Zaldy Co, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, and members of the Technical Working Group (TWG) over alleged P241-billion budget insertion on Monday, February 10, 2025.
Alvarez announced in a live media forum in Manila Saturday morning that the criminal charges are due over alleged “Falsified Insertions” in the 2025 National Budget.
“Maghahain kami ng criminal case against House Speaker Martin Romualdez sa kadahalinan na siya ay may ginawang krimen dito sa budget ng 2025. Malaking halaga ang ipinasok nila na hindi inaprubahan ng kongreso. Hindi ito ang napagkasunduan sa bicameral committee at nagulat na lang kaming lahat nung makita namin kung bakit yung ini-mail sa amin na bicam report may mga blanko po rito. Ngunit nung pinirmahan ng Presidente kompleto na. At nung tinignan namin kung magkano yung ipinasok nila na halaga ito ay nagka total ng P241 billion. Ewan ko kung matatawag natin na typograpical error yan. Napakalaki ng halaga,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez stressed that there is no such amount that was approved by the bicam and it was not approved by the plenary either for the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
“Ako bilang isang nakaupong congressman ay kailangan ipakita ko sa taumbayan na kung merong mali seguro kailangan nating panagutin kung sino yung may gawa nung krimen. Walang nangyayari sa HoR na hindi alam ng Speaker of the House, lahat yan ay may basbas ng Speaker. Walang gagalaw diyan kapag hindi sinabi ng Speaker. Kaya segurado ako itong si Martin Romualdez ay talagang siya ang may pakana nito lahat,” he said.
Alvarez was a former Speaker of the House during the Duterte administration.
Alvarez said they requested a copy of the enrolled bill for several days, but so far they have not received it.
“Hanggang ngayon ay tinatago nila sa amin. Hindi ni re-release ang enrolled bill ng House of Representatives,” he said.
Citizen Crime Watch leader Raul Lambino said it is clear that the Bicameral Conference Committee Report must be approved by the House and the Senate, however, a lot of blanks in the documents came out.
“Maraming blanko doon sa lumabas na mga dokumento. May narinig ako na statement na galing kay Congresswoman Quimbo, ang nagsabi na yung Technical Working Group (TWG) ang gumawa na ng tinatawag nilang “insertions” based kung ano raw ang napag-usapan doon sa bicameral conference. Ang tanong, meron bang records or proceedings doon sa bicam? Merong bang journal? Wala silang maipakita,” Lambino said.
Lambino underscored that the members of the TWG in the Senate and the Congress must be investigated also.
“At kung sino sino itong mga membro ng TWG. At mag execute sila ng kanilang affidavit kung talaga nga bang meron silang ginawang insertions dito para ma-fill-in the blanks yung enrolled bill bago mo ipinadala sa Malacañang,” he said.
Last month, Davao City Third District Representative Isidro Ungab confirmed that there was budget insertions and they’re getting bigger.
This came about after the recent approval of the bicameral conference committee of the final version of House Bill No. 10800 or the proposed P6.352 trillion 2025 national budget.
Also last month, Ungab, former executive secretary and senatorial aspirant Vic Rodriguez, and others have asked the Supreme Court (SC) to declare the 2025 national budget as unconstitutional amid alleged irregularities and supposed blank items in the bicameral conference committee report.
