An insult to Congress
A member of Congress who cannot stomach what has been transpiring in the budget process laid out his frustration to Nosy Tarsee, saying the legislative branch has lost its august character as a result of the bastardization of the 2025 national budget.
The budget was really disrespected. What they did to it was an insult. An example of this was the manipulation of the automatic appropriations to PhilHealth. This may mean the other items covered by automatic appropriations were abused.
Congress went beyond the appropriations submitted by the Executive as reflected in the President’s budget.
The Supreme Court has decided so many cases where it ruled that a general law cannot amend a special law, or cannot supersede a special law.
The General Appropriations Act is a general law. A special law imposes a specific tax and already includes an appropriation. That’s why it is called an automatic appropriation—there is a statute protecting it. They are legally protected items.
In the Special Account in the General Fund, the total automatic appropriations had an additional P12.7 billion. The original SAGF was ₱5.5 billion.
The question is: did the House have the authority to add, and where did they get, the ₱12.7 billion that was added? Because you cannot add to an item whose source of funding is specifically earmarked.
The Special Road Fund was increased. This is the former Road Board Special Road Fund. From P16.7 billion, it was increased by P17.9 billion.
Where did the increases go? The smell of pork is so pervasive throughout the 2025 budget.