The 2025 budget of the Department of Justice (DoJ) was approved by the appropriations committee of the House of Representatives without many questions from interpellators on Monday.
Most questions from interpellators focused on the Bureau of Corrections' (BuCor) cashless transactions, with responses provided by Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Angelo Bongalon, vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
The cashless transactions were introduced by BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. which is aimed at curbing corruption and transparency inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) and Correctional Institute for Women (CIW).
Bongalon said the cashless transactions were basically to thwart corruption and bring in transparency but it has been suspended as there are some glitches and an investigation is ongoing to determine the problem.
ACT Partylist Rep. France Castro said that there are VIPs in prison who might do something that is not good for the cashless transactions but was assured that the matter will be investigated.
Bongalon said that relatives of the PDLs inside prisons (NBP/CIW) can bring in food when they visit imprisoned relatives but the report that it is being controlled will also be included in the investigation.
On the other hand, the DoJ is set to process the granting of presidential or executive clemency to 100 persons deprived of liberty since Christmas is coming.
It was asked by Castro to which Bongalon replied that there are already recommendations for the purpose.
Zero tolerance
Speaker Martin Romualdez has warned critics that the House of Representatives will have "zero-tolerance" toward officials who cry for accountability but are blind to their "misuse of public funds."
"We cannot ignore the reality that there are those who seek to undermine our work — critics who speak of accountability while conveniently ignoring their own misuse of public funds," Romualdez said in his speech during the opening of the floor debates on Monday on the proposed P6.352 trillion national budget for 2025.
The House chief did not name names but asserted that "this chamber will not tolerate hypocrisy, nor will it stand idle in the face of such blatant disregard for public trust."
"You cannot point a finger when you are the one to blame. Congress will follow due process [on the budget deliberations] and no one will escape accountability," he added in Filipino.
While Romualdez did not specifically allude to Vice President Sara Duterte, his remarks came at the heels of the latter's accusation that he and Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Elizaldy Co, chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations Committee, have been "controlling" the national budget.
Romualdez and others "meddling" with the 2023 budget allocation for the Department of Education (DepEd) was a key reason for her resignation from the post.
Duterte, who led DepEd for nearly two years, resigned abruptly on 19 June and was succeeded by veteran lawmaker Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara. In a recent taped interview, Duterte claimed that several House members sought a share of DepEd's P5 billion budget for classroom construction in 2023, but she refused their requests.