Historically, in this young Republic, there has not been a House Committee on Appropriation as rude and politically biased as the current one.
Two weeks ago, the committee headed by a Marikina solon and her cohorts, in an apparent dirty conspiracy, acted with patent malice in questioning the Vice President on her proposed 2025 office budget.
There was no rationale for the nasty, un-interparliamentary behavior of these individuals other than to malign and destroy the image of the VP. Leftist Representative Castro even acted judge-like by declaring that the VP committed an illegal act. Well, grandstanding put them in the limelight, giving them undue political mileage for the 2025 elections. By next month, October, every power hungry and greedy capitalist cum politician will be filing their CoCs.
The focus of their accusatory questions was the 2023 OVP budget, which was not the subject of the budget hearing, which was the OVP’s proposed 2025 budget.
The partisan solons, whom some people I know call “representathieves,” clashed with Representatives Marcoleta, the good-natured Isidro Ungab, and Claudine Bautista who insisted that parliamentary courtesy be applied. The committee chair appeared impotent as she presided over the hearing. Obviously, she was part of the demolition job on the VP.
You know, my KATRIBU, the tradition of inter-parliamentary courtesy is a time-honored practice in our republic. This means that Congress as the legislative branch focuses on proposing laws and has the power of the purse but is not supposed to interfere with the co-equal executive and judicial branches that have their mandated responsibilities. They should not interfere in the job of the executive branch that implements legislative fiats, while the judiciary devotes itself to interpreting the laws of the land.
In a sense, the tradition of inter-parliamentary courtesy was influenced by the practice in the US government which was started way back in August 1789 during the presidency of George Washington.
It’s understandable that Sen. Bato de la Rosa has refused to appear before the rude and sludgy congressmen demanding his presence. VP Sara Duterte invoked the tradition by not attending any more hearings after the contentious initial one.
Instead, she sent a letter declaring that she would “defer entirely to the discretion and judgement of the committee.” Later, she said that even if the OVP was not given an outlay, its work would continue.
The VP maintained the figures and rationale for everything in the 2025 proposed budget was fully laid out, in advance, on the OVP website for the information of all Juan de la Cruzes.
We witnessed the capitalists cum legislators’ rudeness, bias, grandstanding, dirty politicking and patent malice in subjecting the OVP to accusatory questions that set aside the tradition of inter-parliamentary courtesy. Why?
The Bridge witnessed everything.
When the Office of the President’s 2025 budget was presented for deliberation, it was approved within minutes, in a breeze, following inter-parliamentary courtesy. This corner well appreciated that act of the committee.
It was clearly a double standard, though. While we’re glad for the OP, which should be accorded the courtesy during the entire term of President Bongbong Marcos Jr. and thereafter, there was no reason for the discriminatory treatment of the OVP by the committee.
The nasty legislators deviated from tradition, especially considering the separation of powers of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. But, indeed, we now have sludge politicians who don’t deserve to be reelected.
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Regarding the Recto raid of PhilHealth funds and the latter’s ineptness, these officials should implement a no-balance billing for its members’ hospital bills. That’s the only thing that makes sense. Do it now, Mr. Emmanuel Ledesma, while you are still president of PhilHealth, or resign.
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