Marcos, Cabinet run budget proposal under microscope

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with his Cabinet on Thursday to thoroughly review the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), according to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

Bersamin told reporters that Mr. Marcos wants to ensure that the budget proposal from Congress conforms with the Constitution.

“The President and the Cabinet are right now thoroughly reviewing the various items in the GAB to make them conform to the Constitution and to see to it that the budget prioritizes the main legacy thrusts of the administration,” Bersamin said.

“The President has been most prudent in programming and spending our limited fiscal resources,” he added.

The President is set to sign the 2025 national budget on 30 December after his scheduled activities for Rizal Day, 10 days after its original signing date.

Marcos reset the original 20 December signing date to “allow more time for a rigorous and exhaustive review.”

The GAB courted controversy due to its zero subsidy for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and over the P12 billion it cut from the budget of the Department of Education (DepEd).

On Wednesday, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri renewed the call to review the 2025 budget before he would affix his signature to the measure. He expressed hope the concerns about the GAB would be addressed by this time.

Zubiri said a review would help stave off possible legal action in the Supreme Court, which could declare the budget unconstitutional and delay its implementation.

No reenactment

Last Monday, Presidential Communications Office acting Secretary Cesar Chavez said there had been no mention of a budget reenactment for 2025.

According to the Department of Budget and Management, if the GAB for the coming fiscal year fails in Congress, the preceding General Appropriations Act (GAA) shall be deemed reenacted and shall remain in force and effect until the GAB is passed by Congress.

Needs fixing

Meanwhile, Senator Imee Marcos, the President’s sister, criticized the decision to continue with the budget signing on Monday, stressing that the budget proposal should be returned to Congress to fix its provisions.

Imee said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) should have its budget reduced by P188 billion to make the entire GAB “constitutional.”

The DPWH was given an allocation of P1.113 trillion in the proposed national budget totaling P6.352 trillion.

Section 5 (5), Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution states that the State shall give the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Imee said that while it is true the President can veto line items in the budget proposal, he cannot realign the budget to fund other projects for next year.

Malacañang had no response to Senator Marcos’ statement as of yesterday.